(From top): Miss India 2005 winners Sindhura and Amrita (right) with models at the AT group and NIFD fashion show at J.W. Marriott; a scene from the play Panchhi Aise Aate Hain at the India Habitat Centre; Vallabh Vyas, Nupur Asthana, Vivan Bhatena, Deepa Sahi, Ketan Mehta, Akashdeep Saigal, Amrita Saluja, Rajeev Khandelwal, Amrita Khanvilkar (left to right) at the launch of Time Bomb

Shimmer and sparkle

Stunning jewellery made by one of the best jewellery design houses in the business worn with outfits dreamed up by a team of young designing hopefuls. The recently-held fashion show at J.W. Marriott by the Anopchand Tilokchand Group and National Institute of Fashion Design (NIFD) was a blend of the established and the aspiring. The occasion: the showcase of the AT group?s newest jewellery collection and the announcement of NIFD?s two new short-term courses.

Kick-starting the show was a peppy dance performance followed by a fashion show choreographed by Utsav Dholakia. While the ornaments in gold, silver and platinum were a mix of the modern and the traditional, the clothes in tones of black, beige and pastels served to enhance their sparkling beauty. Scorching the ramp were top models Jesse Randhawa, Anchal Kumar, Nethra Raghuraman, Tanya Sharma, Anjali Raut, Ridhima Sharma and Calcutta girl Shonal Rawat.

Quite a crowd turned up for the event despite the heavy showers lashing the city. Spotted in the audience was diamond merchant Bharat Shah (the chief guest for the evening), fashion designer Shaina NC, jewellery designer Poonam Soni and the winners of the Pond?s Femina Miss India 2005 ? Amrita, Niharika and Sindhura, who were felicitated at the event .

Theatre humour

Delhi?s theatre scene sizzled last week quite in keeping with the heat wave that was smothering the city. Celebrated playwright Vijay Tendulkar?s Panchhi Aise Aate Hain was staged to an auditorium packed to capacity at the India Habitat Centre. Director Dr Sanjeev Johri, an Osho devotee, dedicated the play to his guru, opening the performance with his master?s discourse that went: ?Act as if it is real life and live as if it is acting?. Panchhi Aise Aate Hain was also his first directorial venture for the Osho World Foundation.

The play was one with a message. ?Love prospers in an environment of freedom. Wherever there is force and constraints, love becomes a casualty. Above all, beauty comes from within, from love,? explains Johri. The play opened with the protagonist, Arun (played by Johri), delivering a monologue ? a rib-tickling one that found favour with the audience. It went on to chart a day in the life of Arun, the quintessential wanderer, who strays into a seaside village of Maharashtra, after his attention is caught by a scowling woman (played by Meenakshi Johri, the director?s wife). The story revolves around the way in which Arun brings about a change in her personality ? all in the span of an evening.

Like most plays are wont to do, this one too had Delhi?s ?enthusiasts? arrive fashionably late. But then, they did beat a hasty path backstage to pour accolades on Johri.

Of terror and Osama

The release of The Rising might be getting delayed, but that has not stopped film director Ketan Mehta from directing an action thriller. Time Bomb which is aired on Zee TV every Monday at 10pm is a soap that is about ?a day that promises to shake your life?. It is a political thriller of global terror with its epicentre in South Asia.

Osama Bin Laden makes an appearance in this serial where his agenda is to ?change the world order?. When asked about the controversial nature of his serial, Mehta explained at the launch, ?Well, Osama was the best way to communicate what I wanted to get across to the people ? that feeling of terror and doom.? Time Bomb will be limited to 25 series and not be stretched till eternity, promises Abhijit Saxena, business head at Zee.

The characters are played out by popular small screen actors, Rajeev Khandelwal (previously Sujal of Kahiin To Hoga) and Akashdeep Saigal (Ansh of Kyunki Saas Bhi Bahu Thi). There?s Bollywood actor Kay Kay as well to add spice ? he plays India?s prime minister in Time Bomb. The main female character is portrayed by Amrita Saluja (you?ve seen her in all those Whirlpool ads). The producer of the serial is none other than actress Deepa Sahi of Maya Memsaab fame. Sahi is trying her hand at writing, directing and producing and says she finds it more entertaining than appearing in front of the camera.

Photograph of play by Jagan Negi