The Taj Palace Hotel in flames

MissMalini

I watched in horror as the events of 26/11 unfurled over the course of three miserable days this time last year. I watched my city burn as we sat helpless, unable to extinguish the flames of malicious hatred that burn in the hearts of so many. I watched the news last night where there was a Times Now debate on anger & aggression featuring a panel of victims, social commentators and journalists including personalities like Anupam Kher, Bachi Karkaria and Shobha De all being angry at someone or the other for letting this happen; for poor crisis management, for being accused of not being angry enough when similar terror struck – but not so close to home, for insensitive media coverage, for the 3-year-old Rabbi’s son Moshe Holtzberg who doesn’t know his parents are gone, for a trial that continues with no punishment yet meted out, for the fact that this happens so often now we’re getting used to it… Of course I empathize with the shock and anger everyone feels (although its hard to imagine the shattered lives of those who lost loved ones in the carnage) but I’m trying not to think about the government the media or the Indian judiciary. I can’t help but relive my own experience of that night and just be grateful for how lucky I am. I am humbled and hollow in the knowledge that people not unlike myself didn’t get dealt the same hand by fate (why is that?) I know people are upset and angry and there is always someone else to blame, but don’t you think that’s what got us here in the first place?

Sometimes there is nothing you can say to make it better.
Sometimes its better not to say anything at all.

Shamita, Shilpa & Raj Kundra

Is it just me folks or does Shilpa Shetty suddenly look like the cat who got all the cream (glowing away smugly at her lavish reception last night at the Grand Hyatt, Mumbai) and Shamita Shetty seems to be sporting a painfully plastic grin? I hear there are lots of pictures doing the rounds of a pensive Ms. Shamita at the wedding proceedings (somebody send me some I wanna see!) and understandably so… her big sister scored muchos celebrity points by bagging Big Brother UK while Shamita tearfully retreated from Bigg Boss and now Shilpa’s marrying multimillionaire Raj Kundra, she’s gotta be a little J no? Besides talk about setting the bar high for baby sis!

Vishal & Shekhar present Raghu Dixit

I still remember the very first time I saw The Raghu Dixit Project LIVE on stage at the Sula Vineyards amphitheater in Nashik. Man they were awesome, something about Raghu Dixit’s bombastic voice & sense of humor, their band chemistry and the fact that they (for all intents and purposes) are an indie rock band performing barefoot in lungis, just kinda rocks my world. Raghu Dixit (as he’ll unabashedly tell you) used to be a scientist and gave it all up to pursue a more melodic dream. He’s also a trained Indian classical dancer which is why he always pays homage to his art by wearing ghungroos around his ankles when he sings. Hear one song and you’re hooked. Buy the whole album and you’ll be humming it in your sleep.  (That’s why I bought 5 copies to give out on my show this Friday, tune in and take one home!) Read more…

The Manchester United Café Bar

Choogle! (photo courtesy Chetan Kapoor)

Good news for all you Red Devils (and single ladies looking for a *soccer-obsessed beau!) The Manchester United Café Bar will be opening its doors at Palladium Mall, Lower Parel come Christmas (join the Facebook group). If you think about it after several other Asian outlets the opening of the Mumbai branch makes sense considering their (estimated) 20 million strong fan base across India… ohhh and it gets better! Watch my blog because in the first week of December 10 people who correctly answer a ManU related trivia question (courtesy Choogle) will win entry to the launch where you could be the first to check out the Café Bar with me and even get cool merchandise! (How do you like me now?!) Read more…

Mansi and Kanika from Brown Paper Bag

I love the Brown Paper Bag and all its delicious secrets. Check out the bpbweekend.com for all that’s fun and fashionable plus enter foodie heaven with two girls I like very much. Mansi & Kanika are cute, clever and have great taste in music. They were my guests on Pirate Radio and played their top 10 tracks while revealing their top 10 Mumbai secrets, love it! (audio coming soon, watch the videos for Mumbai’s best kept secrets!) Read more…

Raj Kundra and Shilpa Shetty

Shilpa weds Raj

(Of course they’re not mine but it’s the one wedding album everyone wanted to see!) Check out highheelconfidential.com, indiancinemagallery.com and bollywood.celebden.com to feast your eyes on some more. And if you want the dish direct from the horses mouth then read Shilpa’s blog, her latest entry on November 22nd says;  “Settin off for my mehendi now. Thanks for all the best wishes from family and friends… will write to you very soon… as Shilpa Shetty Kundra :) THIS IS IT! :) “

Shilpa Shetty

Yes yes I know, everyone and their grandmothers is talking about it so this blog is for those of you who really couldn’t care less (you know who you are, the ones who only know the SS of gestapo infamy!) So if you don’t want to be left out of Page 3 party conversation that will undoubtedly dwell on the “wedding of the season” all you need to do is remember a few funky facts and you’re good to go! Jump in on any conversation regarding SS and her entourage (hell even Bigg Boss 3) Enjoy. Read more…

MissMalini @ Hard Rock Cafe

Oh boy oh boy oh boy, what a night! (just to fill you in, last night Hard Rock Cafe hosted the first ever missmalini.com fan night which I decided to  host when I hit 1000 Facebook fans (so sign up quick and wait till you see what happens when we hit 2000!) Somehow everything just magically came together for me and I’m sitting here lost for words to blog about my perfect life! Check it out; Sidd Coutto, the lead singer of Tough on Tobacco offered to compose and sing me my very own theme song at their album launch for “Happy Goat” (the album is available for FREE download here). Hard Rock Cafe agreed to throw me a full fledged party and offer fans & friends free drinks, heck even my Mango-dress dilemma was solved overnight by the awesome store manager Roselynn Meyers, which was just about as much icing on the cake as the incredible one Rebecca Maria Vaz from The Baking Tray hand-made for me! (You know, sometimes I just can’t figure out how the hell I got so damn lucky, but hey why question karma right?) I’m so happy! Read more…

Preity Zinta @ HBS

Preity Zinta, back in Bombay

I hear Preity Zinta did quite a bit of Twittering about her time at HBS (and since I got some more pictures of her visit courtesy some HBS students I figured I’d post her tweets too!) If you want more follow @realpreityzinta and stalk away :) Read more…