Rain or no rain, the party must go on. It’s that time of the year again where the weather gods play havoc, but as always, where there is a will there is way. We find ourselves asking questions like — ‘which pair of shoes do I wear if it rains?’ or if our freshly done ‘blowdry’ will get ruined on the way to the car. Upcoming events are planned with one eye on the weatherman, but it looks like it will be a bustling weekend ahead.
This past week saw the much awaited launch of Pa Pa Ya, which is described as a modern Asian Bistro and Bar. While they’ve had a series of tastings over the past month or so, as part of a soft launch or sorts, they officially opened their doors recently and Chennai is obviously excited about it. Almost everyone has tried the brand at other cities and agreed that it’s about time that it made its way here. The launch saw all of Chennai’s popular faces from across the board, some happy to catch up with friends, some excited to sample the menu and others furiously documenting it all for Instagram.
Also, taking place this week after a ‘bit of a break’ (the tag line post-COVID) was the Short+Sweet theatre festival much to the delight of audiences. In a departure from the usual, the festival gained popularity with the 10-minute format. People also love the mix — multiple languages, genres and both amateur as well as established theatre companies. I was also told that a couple of movie stars’ journeys began with this festival. We’re now watching them on OTT platforms on the big screen, but they were first spotted at Short + Sweet. Pretty cool.
And while we’re on the subject of the arts, it’s great to see fine art being given its importance. I’ll let you turn the pages for more on the Madras Art Weekend, with a full report next week, but I’m talking about ‘regular Joes’ trying their hands at art with the ‘Art in the Dark’ experience. Over at a private event in the city, guests were invited to Sip and Paint with Jalato, where once hellos were said, the lights were switched off. Everyone had a blast, following instructions and letting their creative side loose (they just had to be careful not to mix up their beverages with their paint water). Thankfully, all art related items were on the right and all food related items were on the left. The end result was a funky piece of art, that everyone showed of proudly.