They hail from Philippines. They have performed in Frankfurt, Bangkok and Phuket. They had not heard of India till a year back. But do not spill your drink when you hear them mouthing Hindi smash hits like they?ve been doing it forever.

Perfect Jam is a three-member band that is performing at the Polo Club in HHI. English numbers are their forte, but it was the demand for Hindi tracks that found them on the wrong chord.

?We had no idea about Hindi whatsoever. But the constant demand from the customers forced us to do a crash course in Hindi songs,? says Ernesto Bela Cruz, member of the band.

Playing it by the book has paid off. For, Perfect Jam is now busy entertaining guests with pop picks like Bin tere sanam, Oye oye and Kaanta laga. ?It is very difficult to learn Hindi songs, but singing them is fun,? feels Bela Cruz.

(From top) Filipino band Perfect Jam at HHI; model Sheena Chauhan, television actress Monami Ghosh and theatre actress Mahira Kakkar show off Valentine’s special jewellery from Gold Factory; a play, Mirror Mirror On The Wall, in progress at Grain of Salt on Friday. Pictures by Rashbehari Das and Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya

But bringing in a bit of Bollywood does not mean the trio has abandoned its core competence of belting out everything from Bee Gees to Bryan Adams. And when they take a break, it is DJ Craig who keeps the crowd going with his console control.

Love?s labour

Check your wallet before you profess everlasting love to her this Valentine?s. Your date just might expect to be pampered with tonnes of Valentine?s special goodies being launched in the run-up to the red-letter day. The latest Valentine?s Day bait being dangled to the hapless lover is diamond jewellery from Gold Factory on Rashbehari Avenue.

The trendy collection, launched by theatre actress Mahira Kakkar, model Sheena Chauhan and television actress Monami Ghosh, is being called Floating Diamonds, which uses diamonds on thin, transparent acrylic plates.

This is achieved by cutting acrylic sheets into round, square, oval or rectangular shapes with small holes drilled into them. Then, heat is applied to expand the holes, after which the diamonds are set by hand. When cooled, the acrylic sheet contracts and clasps the diamond firmly in place. Machine-cast gold loops complete the pendant.

?The range is very young and peppy. The predominant theme is the heart, in keeping with the occasion, along with a lot of geometric shapes and designs,? says jewellery designer Brinda Ganguly, the brain behind the range.

The jewellery, priced at Rs 950 and above, will be up for grabs for a fortnight from February 1.

Mirror image

A downpour during the day and resultant chilly winds notwithstanding, the Grain of Salt terrace hosted a packed house on Friday evening.

The occasion was the opening show of Mirror Mirror On The Wall, a play directed by film-maker Anindita Sarbadhicari, which saw the director taking the stage along with Tollywood actress Chandrayee Ghosh.

The play got off to a late start as rain played spoilsport, but with cocktails as warm-up, there were no audible guest grumbles. And once the two actresses took the stage, they managed to hold the attention of one and all.

Presented by A Fistful Of Dreams and Home Plan & Lifestyle magazine, it was theatre for a cause: AIDS awareness and combat. While a fundraising attempt at the end was a more direct appeal, the entire play itself had subtle underlying references to the cause.

Mirror Mirror On The Wall presented a serio-comic depiction of the basic human obsession with one?s self as reflected in the mirror. It dealt with our obsession with the body and the constant vain endeavour to attain physical perfection. The two characters, playing their real selves, explored various facets of human nature portrayed through isolated incidents.

?I have been in dialogue with the mirror for the past 30 years. The person who replied was someone I knew best, loved most? Yet someone kept whispering in my ears ?if only?,? began the director?s note.

And she went on to explain: ?? millions of faces, gadgets and products tell me everyday that I?m not good enough. There is something I need to change? something I need to improve upon? my hair, my eyes, my skin, my complexion, my lips, my body? myself!?

The performance was punctuated by an audio-visual presentation where personalities from various fields including actress June and danseuse Anjana Banerjee dwelt on their relationship with mirrors.

The thought-provoking endeavour and the association with the cause made up for the technical faults, particularly the poor sound quality.