t2 tip: Set a tray with cards, diyas and finger food for each of your guests.Picture: B. Halder

Location: The Bridge, The Park

Throwing a cracker of a taash party needs thinking out of the box and then some running around. First things first, the setting. The mood will decide how rocking the party is.

Guest list and invites

A night-long taash party is an intimate affair. Make sure the guests on your list get along well with each other, or would be great company together even if they are strangers. You wouldn’t want anyone to spoil the fun.

E-invites and printed cards lack a personal touch. Send out a handwritten note.

Have fun when you send out the invites. Also attach a single leaf of taash, a mini bottle of liquor, or some firecrackers! “Of all the taash parties I have attended, I loved the one where invites described our personalities. I got a rocket, while my friend got a phuljhari! These quirky invites help build up the festive hype before Diwali,” said Yogi, a 22-year-old student and model.

Let there be light, lots of it

Yes of course, it will be all about lights, and that’s why you need to get the lighting right. Do up each section with a certain kind of light. Fairy lights, hung up in strings or bunched in a ball, can be put in the gaming area, while the lounge area can have candles and paper lanterns. Deck up the entrance with diyas, flowers and may be a stick-on rangoli, which won’t be ruined by the stream of guests coming in.

Include some aroma candles with the regular ones.

Place an urli (a brass tumbler) in an open corner or in the centre of the lounge area, and float some candles and marigolds. The pop of orange will add more cheer.

Remember that after marathon games, everyone will be looking for a cushion to rest an elbow or the back. Throw around enough cushions and bolsters, and in keeping with the mood, try and get covers with poker and taash motifs.

Keep extra mats, rugs and chairs handy in case you have guests gatecrashing. “Since Diwali is an extravagant affair, I start shopping for the decor from the exhibitions held around town. This year I have picked rangolis, colourful diyas and bright artificial flower-hangings from Cherry Orchard and Temptations (held in association with t2),” said avid party-goer Davina Thacker, who throws taash parties at home.

Deepika Padukone’s Lovely moves in Happy New Year. The song will be on top of every DJ’s playlist

The playlist

The playlist is the key to the party mood. Here are some tips from Girish, the resident DJ of Shisha:

For an only-taash party, the music shouldn’t be dance-centric as you would want to concentrate on the game more. Keep Indianised lounge music for the first hour, followed by Buddhist music, with chants and waterfall sounds, each piece lasting 25 minutes.

For parties which are close-knit with less focus on taash, the playlist should be full-on Bollywood music. Keeping the festive spirits in mind, the music should be desi.

Your top picks from Bolly hits must include Tu meri and the Bang Bang title track, Lovely, London thumakda, Abhi toh party shuru hui hai, Indiawaale, O womaniya and Maa ka phone.

Party favours

Themed return gifts are great to make your guests remember how much fun they had. t2 picks some...

1. Poker-themed shot glasses,

Rs 460 for a set of four@Fabfurnish.com

2. Digital-print candles on the taash theme. Rs 900 for a pair @Wix and Wax (9836243343)

3. These Anthon Berg liqueur chocolates are perfect ‘sweets’ for a Diwali taash party. Rs 395 for a set @Story, Elgin Road

4. A wooden card box that can hold up to three packs of cards. Rs 600 @Spectrum (9874558861)

5. Metal tealight holders. Rs 700 for a set of four @Festivity (9831126567 or 8017985569)

6. Add a strand of crackers, sparklers or charkis, from your corner shop. Bang bang!

7. Bandook-themed chashmas are the perfect picture props. Rs 190

@Lindsay Optics, New Market

Text: Pramita Ghosh