The Classic Nite which was held last Saturday at 1900s was a smoky affair. Along with drinks on the house, the other vice -- smoking -- was also gratis for the guests. At the entrance Anil Dharker and the MTV VJ Amrita Arora, along with others, were greeted with take-as-many-as-you-want cigarette packs of the Classic brand. Inside, the big screen on the wall was removed to make way for a laser projector. Elsewhere strange looking gizmos scanned the ceiling with the logo of the company. The bartenders had an extra bounce to their steps and an extra edge to their cocktails, which made for an evening of high spirits for everybody. Half way through the night, the crowd was also entertained with an acrobatically laced performance by skimpily dressed highly charged ballerinas.

Musical corners

Saturday night was a busy time for party animals -- while ballerinas bounced at the 1900s, The Ghetto was pumping to the Smirnoff MTV Megamix party and the bash went on till 4.00 in the morning. It was difficult to miss Nafisa Joseph who was spotted in a skimpy body hugging dress which looked as if it was studded with a thousand stars. While she was snaking her way through the crowd, Nikhil Chinnappa, the new MTV VJ, became the self appointed cameraman for the evening he went around clowning with the camera and trying out exotic shots. Also seen occupying corners were Suman Ranganathan and the Channel [V] VJ, Sameera Nanda (out on a spying mission?). Cooing in another corner were Meher Jesia and Arjun Ramphal who seemed oblivious to the rest of the world. Though early on in the evening the place was practically empty, with the rising moon, the crowds also swelled and soon there were over 200 people moving to the music. And as a part of the PR exercise,T-shirts, pens and stuff were being given out to the crowds.

The west side story

Saturday also saw an exclusive event happening at the Taj Ballroom. A group of four West end singers had flown in to perform some of the best songs from musicals such as Les Miserables, Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon and Evita. The room was choc-a-bloc with Mumbai's high society sipping wine and nibbling hors d'oeuvres. Spotted among them was Anil Dharker and Sonu Kriplani, general manager Jet Airways, lost in the sounds of music.

Finishing touch

With every other industry marching East, can education be far behind? And the Swiss, who are known the world over for the all round education and grooming that their schools provide, are doing just that. Maya Oberoi and Aarti Goenka, from two of the most illustrious families of India, can vouch for the excellence of these schools. And now, the Brilliantmont International College, from where they passed out, introduced itself to Indian society last Monday at a quiet gathering. A slide show was held by the headmistress and owner of the school, Francoise Frie, to show the school at it's best.

At the same time, Les Elfes, a Swiss company located in the small village of Verbier also announced their presence. Les Elfes holds summer and winter camps for students, which include sports, language learning and a variety of other activities. Sounds good.

Swiss time

Like chocolates and cheese, a watch becomes a lot more than just a watch if it is Swiss. Last week saw the opening of Swiss Gallery in the city, a premium Swiss watch showroom, it is located at the Heera Panna shopping centre. And its USP is that every imaginable Swiss brand is available over there -- Van Cleef and Arpels, Omega, Baume and Mercier, Gucci, Breguet, Favre Leuba, Concord, Tag Heur, Audemars, Ebel, Piguet and Harry Winston. And though all the companies have made their own outlets in India, the Swiss Gallery offers what none of them do -- a look-see at the entire range at one go.

Yeh hai Asha

Last Friday the Crystal Room at the Taj witnessed the launch of Asha Bhosle's latest album, Asha Aur Khayyam. Polygram brought Asha and Khayyam together for the first time after the duo created the magical melodies of Umrao Jaan. The high point of the affair was a series of clips from the videos which captured Asha in a range of moods. Must say the diva packs more punch in front of the camera than any other seasoned actress.

Golf nite

Royal Palms Golf and Country Club at Goregaon, which is Mumbai's newest and most elegant golf and country club, had a fun filled three day non-stop party which kicked off Friday last.

Couple of things. The address was a confusing mass of names. Nobody's quite sure yet whether it's in Powai, Goregaon, Aarey Milk Colony or at Marol.From the bottom of the hill on which the club is located, it appeared to be a palace ablaze with lights. The whole affair, the baby of the Nensey's -- people who have been in the construction business for generations -- was open to all who bothered to pick up a pass, which is what perhaps, got the party quite out-of-control.

The people who graced the event, apart from the performers, were the illustrious Thackeray family. On stage were Shiamak Davar, Shaan, Sagarika and Sonu Nigam.

Bridal trousseau

Weddings are no longer made in heaven but in designers' studios. And in India, it is an acknowledged fact that there is no such thing as a fall season but a festive season, as wedding and festival wear is what people want. And Melange, Sangita Khatiwada's chic boutique, has come out with an embroidered trousseau line to meet this demand. Seen, among others, was Suneeta Rao checking out new clothes for her wardrobe. Sangita whose specialisation is that she works very closely with rural craftsmen so that their talent is recognized, has brought the khandani karigars of Lucknow and Kanpur into the world of haute couture with this line. While the embroidered line has been designed by Ramesh Nair, the trousseau line is the handiwork of Studio Melange. So if you have a wedding in the family and want some exquisite and unusual outfits, you know where to head.

And finally...

Simi Garewal's Rendezvous with Shobha and Dilip De has been making news, not because two of Mumbai's most beautiful and best known socialites were on it. The star of the evening was the low profile Dilip De who walked away with the audience's applause. His understated charm and simple honesty endeared him to the viewers more than his wife's elegant profile and Simi's gracious smile. So much so that Shobha has been inundated with calls from strangers asking her to remove the nazar from such a wonderful husband. And Shobha says she couldn't agree more.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.