Mood: This was one rocking party! There was never a dull moment on the Tolly greens. A huge turnout, handsome men in black suits with ravishing women for company, a bonfire burning near the main entrance and pots of angeethi or burning coal keeping the guests warm — it was a New Year’s Eve well spent.

“The ambience is totally different from the Christmas party. Close to 30,000 have come in,” said Air Commodore K.B. Menon of Tollygunge Club. The lush greens were divided into separate canopied sitting areas. The party swung into full gear a little after 11pm, with some soaking in the music and grooving on the dance floor.

We spotted a whole table of Tollywood actors chatting away. “I had to tell a lot of lies at work to come here to party. I am enjoying the nirmal anand!” smiled actress Dolon Roy, as actor Dipankar De led her to the dance-floor a little before midnight. Actor Arindam Sil was seen shaking a leg with his wife, too.

Dermatologist and t2 columnist Sachin Varma also dropped in with his wife. “I love the openness of Tolly Club,” he smiled.

As the clock struck midnight, the lights went out and hugs and kisses were exchanged. 2009 had finally arrived.

Music: Purple Rain, the band from Goa, was a huge hit. They mixed it up nicely with thumping dance hits like My Dream Is To Fly, Bachna ae haseeno, Daler Mehndi’s Hai rabba, Hari om hari and One Way Ticket. Their midnight moment song was Yeh dosti. Then, DJ Austin took over from where Purple Rain left off. Rock On!!, Dus bahaane, It’s My Life, Summer of ’69, Socha Hai and Talli were some of the tunes on his song list.

Fashion: Men in black suits were uber cool as the ladies dared to bare. Yes, like the Christmas bash, skin was very much in vogue this time too. A few red dresses were in contrast to the black colour code. And who said suits had to be boring? Blake, a Londoner who had come in with his wife Abby, jazzed his up with a head-turning red sequin-studded pagri. And they both sported matching green and blue face paint!

Food: Finger food including Fish Chop, Fish Finger, Chicken Tikka and Murgh Tangri Kebab kept the guests full till midnight. And after all those New Year hugs at the stroke of midnight, it was time to tuck into a dinner spread at the other end of the greens. After all that dancing, the guests sat down to enjoy a meal that included Mutton Rogan Josh, Dum Ka Murg, Parsley Potatoes and some delicious Gulab Jamun.

Overheard: One PYT was heard grumbling: “You know, the club waiters refused to serve me drinks? They said we have seen you in diapers, how can we serve you?”