I’m back! Soz for being epically late in posting this – was too busy celebrating the perfect 8 days as a Madridista… 😉

Rahul Bose and Milind Soman at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Rahul Bose and Milind Soman

Remember we told you what an amazing job Rahul Bose has been doing with his NGO, The Foundation? Well, all great initiatives need money to run, so every year he holds a fundraiser for it, where he auctions off sporting memorabilia of world champions. For this year’s fundraiser, held on March 1, under the inception of his nephew, he digressed from the format, hosting a musical extravaganza of Ustad Zakir Hussain and Shillong Chamber Choir. Lotsa well-known faces and friends of Rahul turned up – and we’ve the pics for you 😉

Rahul Bose with sister Anuradha Ansari and niece Alya at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Rahul Bose with sister Anuradha Ansari and niece Alya
Rahul Bose with the Shillong Chamber Choir at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Rahul Bose with the Shillong Chamber Choir
Taufique Qureshi, Geetika Qureshi, Antonia Hussain, Zakir Hussain and Rahul Bose at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
The Hussains with Rahul Bose

Speaking on the occasion, Rahul said, “Today I can confidently say musical history was made, but perhaps equally important was the fact that The Foundation raised a record amount of money for our kids. If anybody has any doubt that Mumbai lacks musical taste or a big heart, this evening has proved them wrong. The money we’ve raised will look after our children for the next three years. The music we made will last forever.”

Jacqueline Fernandez at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Jacqueline Fernandez

What do you think of Jacqueline Fernandez‘s Anand Kabra salwar suit? Methinks, it’s lush! And oh, very interesting shoes, indeed.

Nargis Fakhri at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Nargis Fakhri

Nargis Fakhri looked incredible in that Manish Malhotra anarkali, non? And oh, that’s a Gucci ‘India Exclusive’ clutch from the Cruise 2012 collection that she’s toting – WANT!

Shahana Goswami in Bebe at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Shahana Goswami in Bebe

Oh, hello there, Shahana’s right leg!

Milind Soman at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Milind Soman

Swoon… !

Vandana Kasbekar, wife of photographer Atul Kasbekar, with her twins, Arnav and Naomi, at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Vandana Kasbekar, wife of photographer Atul Kasbekar, with son Arnav and daughter Naomi

Check out the loafers on Arnav Kasbekar (Tod’s for Ferrari?) – looks like the boy has inherited his old man’s flair for style!

Anuradha Ansari at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Anuradha Ansari
Ronnie Screwvala and Zarina Mehta at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Ronnie Screwvala and Zarina Mehta

These two make such an elegant couple, non?

Zakir Hussain with wife Antonia at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Zakir Hussain with wife Antonia

And these two, too!!

Aditya Hitkari & Divya Palat (left) and Cyrus Broacha & Kunal Vijaykar (right) at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Aditya Hitkari & Divya Palat (left) and Cyrus Broacha & Kunal Vijaykar (right)
Rahul Bose with Shobha De and daughter at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Rahul Bose with Shobha De and daughter
Vikram Shroff & Namrata Barua Shroff (left) and Tanaaz & Chirag Doshi (right) at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Vikram Shroff & Namrata Barua Shroff (left) and Tanaaz & Chirag Doshi (right)
Ritu Chulani & Renu Chainani (left) and Laila & Ricky Lamba at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Ritu Chulani & Renu Chainani (left) and Laila & Ricky Lamba (right)
Narendra Kumar Ahmed at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Narendra Kumar Ahmed

Very spiffy there, Mr Ahmed!

Ayaz & Ambreen Memon at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Ayaz & Ambreen Memon
Rahul Bose with Indu & Ranjit Shahani at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Rahul Bose with Indu & Ranjit Shahani
Sangeeta Jindal with mum at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Sangeeta Jindal with mum

The hour long recital featured opera, Bollywood favourites like Tu Aashiqui Hai, Kajra Re, Kal Ho Na Ho medley, a khasi opera number, a tabla-piano jugalbandi, three new compositions by the choir and a solo by the Ustad on three percussion instruments. And oh, the Ustad also sang!

Guests at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Guests
Madhu Mantena with guests at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Madhu Mantena (right) with guests
Guests at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Guests

Oooh, that’s a Lanvin for H&M dress on the lady in the right! #jealous

Guests at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Guests
Guests at the “EQUATION 2013 – A Fundraiser FOR EQUALITY” on March 1, 2013
Guests

The Foundation

Formed in 2006 by Rahul, the NGO seeks to bring the two Indias together by going to distant pockets of the country and giving scholarships into the finest boarding schools to bright, deserving children who would otherwise never break out into the world. Named REACH (Restoring Equality through the Education and Advancement of Children), in 2007, the first area it chose to select five students from was the Andaman and Nicobar islands – these kids have been studying in Rishi Valley School. In 2011, it selected six students from Kashmir for scholarships to the Sahyadri School, near Pune. In 2014, it will select six more students, this time from Manipur and Meghalaya.

Photo courtesy | Yogen Shah for MissMalini.com