All is 'well:' a highlight reel of what Chennai was up to last week!

The Radiant Wellness Conclave in its fourth edition, continued building on the foundation of the previous years, with a well-thought-out event, addressing serious issues, in a relatable way. Owed in part, to a remarkable line-up of speakers that included Kanimozhi, Shashi Tharoor, Meghna Gulzar, Abhinav Bindra and Lisa Ray speaking on various facets of wellness. It was hard to pick a favourite. While Lisa Ray had the audience chuckling along, as she shared stories from ‘behind the scenes’ and her journey, Meghna Gulzar took us through her early years, growing up with celebrity parents, and how it shaped her creativity. The brainchild of Dr Renuka David and Col David Devasahayam, it was great that the event flowed through different formats, from interviews to TED-Esque talks to even a round table discussion moderated by Shashi Tharoor. 

Meanwhile, across town, it was a gathering of a different kind, for a special workshop by Sunil Menon on how to become a runway model. Having mentored so many of us over the years, it’s no surprise that Sunil had a fabulous turnout. He also put together a killer group of mentors from across the fashion industry, who were patient and insightful, and happy to answer all of the questions the ‘newbies’ threw their way. Quite a few popular models also dropped by through the day, to say hi, and offer words of encouragement. The workshop concluded with an in-house fashion show,  adding that extra glam and giving them a taste of real life.

This week also included Pehnava by Shuba Jagan, a shopping fest at The Folly, Amethyst, featuring 25 brands from across India, with the proceeds going to NGO — Raise the Voice. It was a similar vibe at The Hilton with the annual fundraiser of the Aranya Foundation, which saw a well-received performance by the Warsi Brothers.