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Arpita Sinha’s eyes had gone moist a little before six. Perhaps the first tears of joy in anticipation of the big moment. Around the same time, Guwahati girl Priti Kongkana Burman confessed she was “scared”. And the gutsy Sonika Chauhan was trying to be her perky best. Three girls whose lives were to change in about four hours at ITC The Sonar’s Pala on Sunday night.
Minutes before the clock read 6pm — the scheduled time for the finale of Dabur Gulabari Sananda Tilottama 2010 in association with Seagram’s Blenders Pride — Nayanika Chatterjee got into a huddle with her girls in the green room, a ritual she has been following for years. “Take a deep breath, then pray for a minute. Do a good job. There is nothing more that we can do now. This is the best that we could have done. Relax, we are all there. Que sera sera,” she signed off. Her wards touched her feet; artists from VLCC touched up their make-up and hair. Indrakshi opened a packet of chocolate. “Shubharambh,” she smiled. Riya shouted, “No matter who wins, we will have a big party.”
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The girls made their first appearance in white bodysuits teamed with white skirts (designed by Sandy) as they presented Four Seasons, a piece choreographed by Sukalyan Bhattacharya. The Violin Brothers played live on stage.
Barry ’Brien, in a black bandhgala with white churidar, and Dipannita Sharma Atwal in a cutaway gown, both by Dev R Nil, took over with “nomoskar, good evening and welcome”.
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“It’s going to be a magical night once again. We are going to celebrate the joy and the privilege of being a woman,” said Barry. Once the judges — Ritu Kumar, Rashid Khan, Tapur Chatterjee and Anamika Lodha — had taken their seats, it was time to get to know the girls better as the audio-visuals started to play. The next sequence saw the girls sport a Boho chic look by Sabyasachi Mukherjee. Next up was an ethnic sequence with blingy lehngas by Simaaya.
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The first screening of the evening saw seven girls — Priti, Dipna, Sonika, Poonam, Rajkanya, Arpita and Rusha — make it to the second round. Clad in Swapnil Shinde gowns, the girls faced the judges for the Q&A. Arpita, Priti, Dipna, Sonika and Rusha made it to the final five. In a minute they all had a common poser to face — Why I love my India and why I don’t. Arpita made a mark with a mention of the Commonwealth Games controversy and won the coveted crown. Priti was crowned the first runner-up and Sonika the second runner-up.
They were the stars of the evening, but when the Tilottama X went backstage to pretty up, it was time for some serious entertainment. A medley of music, dance and fashion, and the final night of Sananda Tilottama 2010 had the audience hooked.
Dressed in ripped jeans, pink tank-top and high leather boots, ex-Viva girl Neha Bhasin took the Pala stage with Aaj ki raat. She went on to sing her hit number from Fashion — Kuch khaas hai — and then Chhaliya chhaliya from Tashan. Also, for new beginnings and in memory of her time with Nayanika Chatterjee during Viva’s grooming, Neha ended the show with Viva’s Hum ne geet sunaye.
Next up was the Volin Brothers — Deb Shankar Roy and Jyoti Shankar Roy. The music was truly fusion with a hint of jazz, blues and contemporary styles mixing with the intricate strains of Carnatic music. The evening also saw a fashion show by Simaaya, showcasing ethnicwear — kurtas, lehngas and elaborate zardosi saris. Tollywood actress Payel Sarkar stopped the show in a white and red lehnga.
Spotted in the audience were Swagatalakshmi Dasgupta, Monami Ghosh, Sanjay Budhia with wife Minu and Nilaanjana Chakraborty.
