The Hindu Business Line : Hogging the limelight

Mumbai does not have an indoor venue big enough for events like the Apsara Film Producers Guild award function. But by the time it is in its fourth or fifth year, the city should have an international-style convention centre at Bandra-Kurla making life much easier for organisers of such mega events.

It's been 10 years since Aishwarya Rai won the Miss World contest. By now, she should be old, over the hill, giving way gracefully to younger aspirants. At least that's the way it works with normal people. People like us — we get wrinkles, our skin begins to sag and, of course, our hair turns grey. Even a L'Oreal makeover doesn't help; ask me, I felt a hundred times better after having one last week at the expert hands of Leena Amin, their training manager, Western region; but I still went into a minor depression seeing Aishwarya Rai close up.

All right, to be honest, I didn't quite see her close-up. That's because there were some 200 photographers — maybe slightly fewer — going ballistic over her. They should have been hopping mad because she came in two hours late for the press conference L'Oreal organised to announce their 10th anniversary in India, but then, when it's Aishwarya Rai you are waiting for, clearly all is forgiven. There's no denying it; the lady has star quality.

Aishwarya is L'Oreal's first Indian international ambassador, joining the ranks of people like Laetitia Casta, Andie MacDowell, Milla Jovovich, Noemie Lenoir, Virgine Ledoyen, Agbani Darego, Gong Li and Catherine Deneuve. All of them are supposed to symbolise the modern woman, who is intelligent, confident and decisive.

For most of us, unfortunately, this confidence comes with maturity — and wrinkles!

A celebrity-studded evening

While Aishwarya was taking her time getting to the L'Oreal event, there was considerable excitement next door, with performers rehearsing for the Apsara Film Producers Guild award function, being held the next day.

The awards night, May 29, must have been a nightmare for the organisers. Mumbai simply does not have an indoor venue big enough for such events, and, thanks to a recent court ruling that bans the use of loudspeakers beyond 11 p.m., outdoor venues are out.

Even the vast Grand Hyatt hotel couldn't handle the number. NDTV equipment for the live telecast ate into the space that 150 chairs would have occupied, and as the hotel staff hurriedly tried to squeeze in extra chairs, high-profile guests like Javed Akhthar and Shabana Azmi came in, took one look at the chaos and made their way out. Jaya and Abhishek Bachchan were also looking for seats, and the entire Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahi team, which won several awards, had to walk up to the dais from practically the last row. People like Shekhar Kapur and NDTV's Rajdeep Sardesai, who were on stage either as presenters or winners, sat in one of the other rooms where screens had been put up.

Still, judging by the number of high-profile people who were there, the event was a huge success. "Move on, move on," someone said, and I turned around to discover I was blocking Shah Rukh Khan's path. Hrithik Roshan came too, with his father and wife, and Sunil Dutt and Subhash Ghai were in the front row.

Some of the performances were amazing, particularly that of the South African acrobatic couple, Liza and Daniel. Mandira Bedi, however, must have had a hard time trying to be bright and cheerful, making pointless conversation with the invitees during NDTV's breaks for the live telecast. She kept asking Indian captain Sourav Ganguly why he wouldn't want to get into films — "not even if Subhash Ghai offers you one?" — and then went up to Ghai to ask if he would offer Ganguly a role. Ghai, who was clearly rebuffing her, said people were good in their own fields and were better off in them!

Since this was the first time in its 50 years that the Film Producers Guild was organising such an event, there were bound to be teething problems, but hopefully these will be sorted out. By the time it is in its fourth or fifth year, Mumbai should have a full-fledged international-style convention centre at Bandra-Kurla — the bids have already been made — and life will be much easier for organisers of such mega-events.

The Expressive Eight

Far removed from all this glamour, in one of the other worlds that inhabit Mumbai, there was a group of eight young women exhibiting their work at the Jehangir Art Gallery. The Expressive Eight, as they call themselves, have always held exhibitions jointly, ever since they received their diplomas from the C.N. College of Fine Arts in Ahmedabad.

They have held several exhibitions in the past, including one inaugurated by a 25-year-old Kargil soldier who lost an eye (the artists donated the proceeds of Rs 80,000 to the Prime Minister's Kargil fund.) However, it was the first time they were exhibiting at Jehangir, Mumbai's premier art gallery. "We applied four years ago while we were still students," said Dhruti Shah, who now lives in Thane.

Dhruti's paintings at this exhibition depicted women with no heads. "Our society places so much emphasis on beauty rather than brains," said Dhruti. "That's why I showed the women that way. In high society, people's brains don't matter."

I think she's right, but what do you have to say about that?

Response can be sent to life@thehindu.co.in

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