Paloma about town: Birthday love, with a splash of sports and arts

The rains continued to pour all week long but as always, Chennaiites showed their resilience and didn’t let it hinder their party plans. Umbrellas out and waterproof mascara to the rescue. We celebrated Lakshmi Krishnaswamy’s ‘Dirty 50’, where after a last-minute venue change due to weather predictions, the party at Sekhmet was definitely one we won’t soon forget. The brunch turned into a sundowner as everyone sipped on special cocktails and danced the evening away. Multiple cakes were cut, speeches were made and a fab time was had by all.

Moving on to the sports front, also taking place this week was the launch of Ice Water in your veins — a sports Arena at Express Avenue along with the announcement of a partnership with the Tamilnadu Pickleball Association and Express Avenue. The event was held at the mall’s central atrium where its Managing  Director Kavita Singhania formally announced the partnership. We also got to find out more about the emerging sport of pickleball and meet the Tamil Nadu team, of all ages, who were in attendance. The team T-shirts were also revealed with a spot of drama, enjoyed by the family and friends of the contingent. Post the formalities guests enjoyed high tea at ‘The Plate’, E Hotel.

In Goa this week, the finals of the Mr and Ms Thamizhagam took place onboard Big Daddy cruises. Stars descended on the riverside venue to join the participants from across the state as judges picked the best emerging talents. We spotted popular faces from film, television and fashion, who crowned the winners Karthikeyan, Raja and Supreya. The event raised funds towards supporting the medical and educational expenses of children with special needs.

Meanwhile, back in Chennai, one of the biggest events of the year was off to a great start — the Madras Art Weekend, with the unveiling of environmental artist Steve Messam’s Auto installation by Kiran Nadar. He shared the story of how the auto came to be the ‘vehicle’ of choice (pun intended) and the final touches that happened, in Chennai. Many heartfelt speeches followed and safe to say everyone was excited for the rest of the event’s in the line-up.