Chill scenes from The India story, with t2, at Swabhumi
TT Bureau
Published 27.12.17, 12:00 AM
TIS Pub channelled some serious Saturday night fever on Day Three of The India Story. With tipple glasses in hand, the party set took to the dance floor and kept rocking till midnight.
Indie rock band Neel and the Lightbulbs set the mood for Saturday at TIS’17 with their mix of foot-tapping originals. “It was great fun to play with the Lightbulbs who’ve been on a hiatus since I moved to Mumbai. It was also really encouraging to see members of the audience mouthing the lyrics to our songs... All in all, it’s the loveliest thing I’ve seen in Swabhumi!” said Neel Adhikari (above).
Rivu
The Ganesh Talkies
Neel and the Lightbulbs, progressive synth-rock artiste Rivu, alt-pop-rock outfit The Ganesh Talkies and DJ U-Gain mixed it up on Saturday.
DJ Vicky’s association with TIS continued for the third year in a row. “We start prepping two months in advance,” said Vicky who spun R&B and House music on Saturday. Vicky and his team also put together the ambient music for TIS. European Lounge, R&B, retro, Christmas carols… the playlist reflected the mood in every zone.
Suyasha Sengupta of The Ganesh Talkies chilled before her gig. “This was the first time we played at TIS… a very different crowd. Winters are a nice time for a carnivalesque gathering,” said Suyasha whose tresses caught our eye. “My hair keeps changing. Purple fading into teal… reflects the fall season,” she added.
Fashion designers (l-r) Gaurav Khanijo, Sweta Tantia and Sayantan Sarkar were in party mode on Saturday night. “I liked it, especially the curation. It felt like a carnival. There was everything and also the fact that it was hand-picked made it even more special. Such a good vibe! I felt why am I working? I should be there and enjoying all the four days!” said Gaurav, a menswear designer from Delhi.
Madhu Neotia and Abhilasha Sethia unveiled three new flavours from Typhoo’s Wellness range — Night Time, Root Remedy and Slim Tea.
Sangita Jindal of JSW Foundation, who brought The Elephant Parade to TIS, took a stroll among the elephant installations.
Banoo Joshi, the wife of The Oberoi Grand GM Sumit Joshi, with Manmeet Bassi, the wife of Swissotel GM Subhrajit Bardhan.
Cricketer Shreevats Goswami swayed to the beats with friend Payal Jugroop.
Model Gabriella Demetriades was spotted having fun at TIS on Saturday. Cutting a stylish figure in athleisure, Gabriella shopped at the Garden Fresh stall.
“It’s bigger and more interestingly designed! The curation of things available here are things that you don’t get anywhere else,” said Karan Paul who dropped by with wife Indrani Dasgupta and daughter Uma Kismat. His TIS pick? “Suket Dhir!”
Derek O’Brien dropped by with wife Tonuca Basu. “Calcutta is the axis on which the Indian cultural map is spinning. Happening city. Happening events. Happening people!” said Tonuca, who works in New York and lives in Calcutta.
Designer Anamika Khanna’s sons Vishesh (left) and Viraj are in town on vacation. Dressed in all-black, the boys cut a stylish picture.
Fashion designer Nupur Kanoi checked out the Nimai collection. Delhi-based label Nimai was one of the fave jewellery stalls with their on-trend earrings, neckpieces, brooches and more.
Pallavi Chatterjee.
DESIGNER TIS STORIES
Delhi-based menswear designer Suket Dhir was one of the most popular labels at TIS, with even the ladies picking up his jackets for themselves. “I love the energy and the crowd that TIS has managed to pull in, just the right kind of people. I do wish there were more men coming in but the ones who came responded well to my collection. As a brand, we’re being appreciated a lot. For me, it’s been a good study of the Calcutta market,” Suket told t2. His fave TIS zone? “The TIS Pub,” laughed Suket, who strolled around the bar area despite a fractured leg and twisted ankle.
“It’s fabulous and I got to meet very interesting people. It was a good forum with good vibes and so I did not feel tired even at the end of the day. I am so happy!” said designer Ajay Kumar from Delhi, whose menswear collection comprised quirky printed and colourful shirts and trousers.
“From what I have seen, the event looks very interesting,” said Samantha Delgos of Australian brand Aiyope. “Calcutta has been quite creative and we haven’t seen such a good collection of people, designers and performers in one place!” added Patrick Hayes, co-director, Aiyope.
ON THE SIDELINES OF TIS’17
Swapan Seth was in conversation with Aditya Ghosh, president and whole-time director, Indigo airlines, on Day Three of TIS’17. From his tryst with law to heading an aviation company, Ghosh recounted his journey with a select audience at Raas Manch. The recollection also included Aditya’s first encounter with Swapan when he introduced himself as “the chief moron officer of Indigo” after the latter was left disgruntled due to a delayed flight. “From taking a risk and helming an aviation company with no experience in the sector to a decade later, setting benchmarks in the Indian aviation industry, the company and I have come a long way,” Aditya signed off.
The talk was preceded by a whisky-tasting session hosted by Angad Singh Gandhi (inset), brand ambassador, William Grant & Sons, where three Glenfiddich premium single malts — Glenfiddich 12, 15 and 18 — were sampled.
Present in the audience for the talk were Harsh and Madhu Neotia and Sanjay and Abhilasha Sethia.
SNIFF, TOUCH, SIP
TIS’17 also married experiences with fashion, art, music and food. While merry shoppers sniffed coffee beans and rubbed perfume on their wrists at Santieb’s, others opted for a consultation at One by Arpita for “healing furniture” options. “We look at inculcating healing into furniture, combining functionality and utilitarianism,” said Arpita Bhandari of One by Arpita. When tired, shoppers flocked to the Bili Hu stall to try out coffee brewed from beans sourced from Chikmagalur and watched the distillation of coffee by Bharat Singhal, founder of the Delhi-based coffee brand.
Text: Anannya Sarkar & Saionee Chakraborty
Pictures: Rashbehari Das
