Cricketer Vinod Kambli had autograph-hunters crowding around him while Meera Kalmadi was her usual unassuming self. Sadashiv Amrapurkar and Deven Verma also walked in, making heads turn. And the food was like a chapter on national integration - Punjabi, Maharashtrian, Gujarati, Rajasthani, Goan, Udipi... it was all there. Not to mention the kabab corner and the pani-puri sections, which were instant hits. The way to the guests' heart is through their stomachs, huh?

The older, the better!
If you were in the mood to do a jig down memory lane and swing to the golden oldies, this was just the place to be. It was `retro nite' at Holiday Inn's Totem Pole, part of the Freaky Friday series, which saw people boogeying to Abba, The Beatles and The Doors among others. With the Mexican food festival also going on at the Holiday Inn, it was but natural for some of the Mexican flavour to rub off on the discotheque - the stewards were wearing Mexican hats! And for those willing to play guessing games, there was also a big poster with faces of some well-known singers and Hollywood actors that had to be identified to win a prize. No doubt a blast from the past!

The royal touch
If you saunter into the exclusive Shyam Ahuja showroom on Boat Club Road this month, you are more likely to come out with a water colour under your arm rather than drape materials. For showcasing the talent of a very promising artist throughout September, the showroom is right now the venue for an exhibition-cum-sale of Radhikadevi Patwardhan's paintings.

Belonging to the family of the Raja of Miraj, this is her first exhibition, even though the passion to paint goes back many years. ``I never thought of becoming a professional artist, and for the past 10 years, have been working in the field of industrial and consumer screen printing. However, since the past four years, the urge to paint resurfaced.''

Her expertise in fabric painting led her to experiment with Indian miniatures in water colours. The response was encouraging, with the lady even bagging export orders along with executing orders for several corporate clients. ``In fact, I am even thinking of switching careers and becoming a full-time artist,'' smiles this mother of three.

Her paintings are on traditional themes, with special emphasis on minute details like ornaments and clothes. Her inspiration? ``My parents, who have always encouraged me to do something in life,'' she reveals. In the world of colours, here's a blue blood making a mark.