Mallya Junior+awareness drive+ Inside RCB dope, The Mumbai Meetup had it all.

Whoa…The best fan meetup so far. I’m elated. Sidhartha Mallya obliged us fans with his presence for over two hours (albeit a last minute surprise element)

Little did I know that a random tweet update by me calling all RCB fans in Mumbai for a meetup at Leopold, would get the Director of RCB to join us fans and and share the inside dope on players, venues, matches and surprisingly his school days. The Fan Meetup & awareness drive turned out to be a huge success with Mallya Junior playing a great host and fans turning up in large numbers.

Toying with a social cause since the fan Summit, the meetup was planned so as to cater to atleast a small social cause from RCB fans to the city of Mumbai. And glad we did…we held a jersey rally along Marine Drive with the help of CORNER STONE, a Mumbai based NGO. We conducted an awareness drive along the roads from Colaba to Marine Drive with social and cleanliness messages pasted on our jersey, holding placards and asking people not to litter. A brief start to what we intend to take a long way.

But the real action unfolded at Cafe Leopold, where Sid Mallya turned up (before time..mind you, as Nidhi said UK timings ) with two of his friends and had a ‘Good Time’ with all the fans. Here’s how it all began:

Tweete-e-Tweete :
My tweet update for RCB:
Calling all RCB fans in Mumbai for a meetup (4pm @Leopold, Colaba) & Jersey/T-shirt rally thereafter. So are you Mumbaikars, GAME FOR MORE?

Sidhartha Mallya replies:
@RCBTweets I will for sure come along…Leo’s is my fav place!

I hope I’m seeing as many RCB fans as possible today at 4pm at Leopolds, Colaba. Will be good to have a catch up and a few beers… 2:03 PM Aug 8th via UberTwitter


As fans dropped by donning RCB jerseys he was at a loss of words and quite humbled by the number of those who had turned up for the meet. Sharing inside goss about IPL 3 auctions, his favourite picks for RCB and player retention policies for CLT20 and IPL4, Sidhartha patiently answered all our queries. Few off the record dope and indulging in a banter with his staunch KXIP follower friend, his days at the boarding school and as a hockey captain…Mallya junior had a whale of a time with us. He also promised to give away Red & Gold RCB bagdes (he was wearing one too) for fans turning for coming meetups.
News is ‘RCB jersey for CLT20 is gonna change’ The new one will be sans a collar..it’ll be a round neck fitted Jersey..specially keeping in mind players like PK who wears a jersey 3 times his size We also came up with a suggestion to start our own ‘Cafe RCB & Force India’ on the lines of “ManUtd cafes’. Chatting for over two hours it was time to bid adieu to the ‘Prince of Good Times’

Happiness Index: The happiness quotient of the meetup fans and Mallya Junior alike was really high. Turning up for all the fans, an impromtu & warm gesture, on Sidhartha’s part was highly appreciated. Also this meetup would be featured in the Times of India. (will update that bit soon)

Party Meter: Most of them who’d turned for the meetup were teetotallers and Sid was amazed as to how RCB fans could leave the venue without having USL products. But then he played aperfect host and offered juices instead








He tweets post the meetup:

"Just met our fans at Leopolds.am completely humbled and in awe of the experience. Amazing feeling to know we have rcb fans all over india "

P.S. The ‘off the record’ player/matches info that Mallya Junior shared with us will be posted in my next blog soon.

Vignettes revamped..

A lull before an array of blogs. Starting afresh after the hectic IPL season and a host of parties that I’ve been to, the revamped page of my blog will have exciting new deals for Mumbaikars by Mydala.com
Also the new look and feel of my blog (I love it more than anyone else..: P) will make it easier for you’ll to browse through the archives and pictures. A big shout out to my fellow bloggers Dhaval and Kunal for their blogging and SEO tips. Thanks a lot guys.

So on the eve of Indian Independence, I pledge that I'll blog regularly. (not that it'll add to the nation's significance ;-) )

'CALL' it quits

I suffer from a chronic yet quirky problem of hating to talk on the phone. So much so that I start getting uneasy if the conversation extends the 15-20 min mark. Quite unlike other girls my age, who spend hours yapping on the phone, I tend to end conversations abruptly. Did try a lot to get over the habit but somehow couldnt. This weird habit of mine is now getting on to the nerves of those who try to contact me, my family, friends,acquaintances. So much so that they've even contemplated getting to know what this 'phobia' is termed as???

The mobile phone will celebrate its 15th birthday in India this year but I, much to other's dismay,  yearn for the days when they were only for the strong and the wealthy. Ironically, being a gadegt freak myself, I've got to admit I'm impressed by technology and services it has to offer with the advent of 3G.
But whats with the compulsion that makes the mobile owners use the damn thing day and night?
They are fast replacing clouds of cigarette smoke as public nuisance No. 1.  My hour long train commute to college and back home was the only 'alone time' I had to myself during the day, maybe hooked to a nice book or some soulful lyrics on my MP3. But now its impossible to enjoy those thoughtful moments without having to listen to a dozen one sided phone conversations of complete strangers. None is an urgent warning  to a loved one or a call that sheds invaluable insights on life. Sadly they are boring, devoid of any intrigue, usually packed with trivia everyone within  earshot must endure.
I do concede that mobile phones have saved ship wrecked sailors or hikers lost  in mountains or even ideal for finding a wandering partner. But they also blight lives. Tiger Woods and Terry would be at a better position as to how these very handy devices have wrecked their lives.What irks me the most about this device is the very essence of its invention (read make/receive calls on the go). Just hope i get over this syndrome someday. if not for myself atleast for those who call me up.

P.S. Texting ( note how the mobile changed the word 'text' from noun to verb)  the other feature which a phone offers is my addiction. I can go to any lengths texting a conversation than having one. Just realised I text faster than i talk

Signature Party den

Mumbai Indians & Kings XI Punjab, IPL after party at Trident, Nariman Point, Mumbai

The mantra of the evening certainly was  ‘Eat..drink..and make merry’. Even as the Kings XI Punjab faced defeat yet another time, they were looking forward to an unwinding session at the Signature IPL night here in Mumbai.  Glad to see a few from the Mumbai Indians finally at the partying scene. Bravo, Pollard, Duminy, Abhishek Nayar, Dhaval Kulkarni and Jonty Rhodes filled in for the Mumbai brigade, and were seen having a gala time celebrating their victory.

KXIP skipper Sangakkara

The ‘Ramp’age- Monisha Jaising popularly known as ‘the princess of Bohemian luxe’ showcased her collection which was dominated by block prints, Indian handicrafts, flowy summer collection. Walking the ramp for her were the supermodels Alicia Raut, Sucheta Sharma, Candice Pinto among others. Spotted enjoying Fashion show were fashioniastas Nandita Mahatani, Ex Miss World Diana Hayden,International supermodel Diandra Sores.

As soon as the fashion show ended , DJ Whosane took over spinning some of the best international tracks that got the guests grooving on the dance floor. Kieron Pollard just couldn’t stop raving about the music.  The bollywood brigade comprising of Arjun Rampal with wife Mehr Jessia, Dino Morea, Muzamil Ibrahim, Shaad Randhawa, Rahul Bose, Rock On director Abhishek Kapoor. And guess who’s Back in town and was seen enjoying the party? Mandira Bedi is back from her London sojourn and was among the first celebs to be interviewed by Bani J.  Quite her chirpy self!

And Mandy is back!

Umpire Robin Jackman, Andy Bichel, KXIP coach Tom Moody, IPL vice Chairman Niranjan Shah were seen enjoying their drinks amidst some serious cricket talks. The highlight of the party certainly was Bret Lee, who took to the dance floor along with fellow team mates Ravi Bopara, Bisla and Kumara Sangakarra.  Surprisingly Yuvraj Singh, Irfan Pathan, Piyush Chawla & Sreesanth gave the party a miss. Too miffed by the defeat I guess.

Rahul Bose

'Mighty' Tom Moody, KXIP coach

Bret Lee and Bisla entering the party

And just as the party was getting to a full house, the Regal Room was agog with screams of  “Ness..Ness” as in walked Ness Wadia sans co-onwers Priety Zinta and Rohit Burman.  A pretty picture himself, obliged everyone as he posed before heading to bar.

Wassup dude? Dwayne Bravo with Ravi Bopara

Ness Wadia

The Regal Room-a packed house

Whoa…one of the best IPL parties in Mumbai so far. The energy and party quotient of the crowd reached the hilt as they danced till the wee hours, living every bit to the epithet of  ‘The City never sleeps’

Play hard..Party harder

As victory beckoned the Mumbai Indians at the D.Y Patil Stadium, the Chargers weren’t left far behind. They partied and how! The Trident, BKC, was all decked up as the Chargers arrived, starting with the owners Gayatri Reddy and her dad in a majestic looking Bentley.  Happy to be posing with the guests, they headed straight to the party which was held at Golconda Ballroom.

BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah and a few ICC officials were the next to join the Reddys.  The ballroom started filling up soon after the Chargers made a beeline for the party. Also seen enjoying the night were  former Miss India and actress Nikita Anand, the MTV crew comprising Bani J, model Noyonika Chaterjee .

IPL Vice President Niranjan Shah

Nikita Anand

The Mumbai Indians skipped this one as their owners had thrown in a private party celebrating the team’s victory. Chargers had a gala time at the party though. First up to face Bani’s volley of fun queries was the mighty Symonds, who was quite enjoying the party and the fashion show. RP Singh looked a bit jaded and was seen engaging in a friendly banter with fellow Charger Jaskaran Singh and Pragyan Ojha.  Captain Adam Gilchrist was too happy to pose and that too in his typical ‘Kangaroo’ style. Cant get more candid than this one!

Gilly and his signature 'Kangaroo'

The Fashion show started soon after and Mandira Wirk’s ensembles certainly belied her age. Some awesome cuts, negligees, floral patterns adorned her collection. And hold your breath guys, the show stopper of the night was the ravishing..Mugdha Godse.

Mandira Wirk with her show stopper Mugdha GOdse

The Dj took over as soon as the fashion show ended and set the dance floor blazing. While the players were enjoying their food and drinks, the guests just couldn’t get their dancing shoes off.  And as the party continued till the wee hours..it just got the better out of them. Yet another Signature IPL night  hit if I may say!

PRIDE- worth playing for indeed!

A few grins after the loss.

When victory beckons the rivals..

All in all a lukewarm response to the much awaited game, which otherwise would have been a semis berth sealing one.  With KXIP having nothing to lose they did spoil Mumbai’s party plans big time.  The crowds dispersed with talks of desperately seeking victory in the next encounter against the Royals.

Signature IPL Nights

The Mumbai Indians are in no mood to let the others party. After sealing a semi final berth against the Rajasthan Royals, they defeated the Delhi Daredevils here in Mumbai with whopping 37 run margin.  The after party was a hit, both the teams partied and how! Read on..

Shantanu-Nikhil’s embellished collection, the city’s elite grooving to DJ Aqeel’s tunes, the MTV VJ’s, the players ‘wining and dining’ made for yet another IPL after party a huge hit.

The Designer duo of Shantanu- Nikhil, who have been in the news recently for designing celebrity couple Sania- Shoaib’s wedding attire, were the designers for the evening.  Embellished cuts, flowy gowns, models draped in hues of Red, Black and white were the highlights of the show. Seen enjoying the ramp walk from the front rows were Bollywood actor Arjun Rampal, IPL vice chairman Niranjan Shah,Daredevils Paul Collingwood,  AB de Villers, Ashish Nehra, among others.

Shiny disco balls

Dj Aqeel had the guests asking for more, when his tracks set the dance floor blazing. A good mix of Bollywood and Punjabi numbers amidst the ‘Signature IPL Trumpet’ had everyone shaking a leg. Having two left feet with such music being played is a thing of the past and a silly excuse, if I may say. Javagal Srinath made a rare and quick appearance, and was seen in some serious discussion with a few Delhi players and umpires. Talk of bringing work to party!

Javagal Srinath

But Umpire Daryl Harper certainly takes the prize for being the most cordial guest. Obliging fans and guests with pictures and autographs, sharing umpiring and his career tit bits with them and also learning a bit of hindi, he was having a good time indeed.  Surprisingly he remarked ‘Shabaash’ after having a brief tete-e-tete with me, for being an ardent cricket fan.

Daryl Harper with a guest.

Ashish Nehra

Saurabh Tiwary, Dwayne Bravo,  Star of the match Kieron Pollard,  Dhaval Kulkarni, JP Duminy made up for the Mumbai brigade and were seen enjoying the food and drinks. This party also had a houseful of MTV VJ’s who were having a great time interviewing the players , DJ Aqeel and Arjun Rampal.

Couple Capers- Arjun Rampal with Mehr

Indian Party League

The Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals After party and Fashion Show was a big hit. After sweating it out on the field the players turned up in full force for the post match bash at the Trident, Nariman Point. Here’s a ring side account of the whole off the pitch action..

The Shantanu-Nikhil Fashion show had the likes of Alicia Raut, Shamita Singha, Sucheta Sharma draped in the city’s funky taxi inspired line.  As the model walked the ramp in hues of Black and Yellow,  the flambouyant Ashish Raheja hooted with pleasure.  The bright yellow and black checkered tights, tops, purses and bags complemented the red set up of the ramp quite well.

Shamita Singha, Candice Pinto, Sucheta Sharma, Alicia Raut

The Cheerleaders from Ukraine just added to the glam quotient of the event. Happy to be posing for a few shutterbugs.

The cheergirls- A pretty picture

Warne-o-Mania

The Royals were having a great time at the bar. The likes of  Shane Warne, South African  Skipper Graeme Smith, Morne Morkel, Shaun Tait had a gala time. Share Warne who  is known for his off field antics as much as his on field ones,  was having an intense chat with the co-owner of the team.  Smith had his girl for company, Damien Martyn, Mascaranhes, Asnodkar, Sidharth Trivedi were engaged in conversations about the match amidst the drinks, at the bar.  Managed a few clicks with the spin legend Warne and batting sensation Yusuf Pathan.

Graeme Smith and Morne Morkel

Abhishek J, Damien Martyn, Dimitri Mascarenhas from the Royals

With the Mumbai Indians joining the party a bit late, after celebrating their success with their team owners, everyone waited with bated breath for the victorious team comprising our very own Little Master, Zaheer Khan, JP Duminy, Jayasurya among others to arrive. And they did make a beeline with a bang.  The ‘oh-so camera shy’ Zak did oblige for a candid picture (a cordial request from me did work)

Zak makes it possible

Had a gala time at the after party with the who’s who of Mumbai’s elite and the best from the cricketing world. wished all the players luck for their forthcoming ties and left feeling a lot awestruck, after meeting the most revered players I ever imagined.  13th March will be one of the very few days etched in the memory of a cricket fanatic like me!

Vignettes from the MI-RCB After party

Having witnessed the action live at Brabourne with a few of my RCB fan club friends, I just couldn’t wait to capture the moods of the players after the game.  RCB,MI after party and Rocky S fashion show at the Trident  was quite a hit. Rocky S creation Rocky S with Candice Pinto The whole of Mumbai’s creme de la had come to root for Rocky S. Also spotted were the legendary Vivian Richards daughter Masaba and designer Nshka Lulla, cheering their designer friend. The player brigade started joining in the fun soon after. Meeting  and congratulating Coach Jennings as soon as I entered the hotel lobby, was a high of sorts for me. Proud of his boys as a mentor and basking in my team’s glory as a fan, the two of us just couldn’t stop gushing about the win. While the Mumbai Inidans (except Shikhar Dhawan, Duminy, Fernando) gave the party a miss. The Challengers were in a mood to celebrate. Kumble and Dravid made a quick exit, the rest of the team stayed at the bar for a long time. Merwe and Steyn 'Caught him' Jonty Rhodes with Mark Boucher A 'Signature' hit amongst the players While the MTV crew, VJ Bani J inclusive got the stylish Coorgi Robin Uthappa for some sound bytes, RCB Community manager Nidhi had Manish Pandey to share a few words about the victory. Pandey certainly was the show stopper off the ramp, with quite a few girls swooning over him. Bani J with Robie Manish Pandey with RCB community manager, Nidhi Getting a ring side view of the off field action was a great experience for me. Joined by the four RCB Chiefs and our community manager Nidhi, I almost felt like home, a stark contrast from the other IPL after parties I’d attended.

Having witnessed the action live at Brabourne with a few of my RCB fan club friends, I just couldn’t wait to capture the moods of the players after the game.  RCB,MI after party and Rocky S fashion show at the Trident  was quite a hit.