Without meaning to I’ve been starting off every week talking about cricket (can you blame me though), but this time I’ll keep it for later. We had quite a packed week event wise with multiple launches and parties happening every single day. As I’ve said before, the ‘rushing around’ from one venue to the next, no longer holds the thrill it once did, so I prefer to take it slower… and for what you missed, there’s always Instagram.
The big celebration of the week was my good friend Karun Raman’s birthday. Having worn many hats (or crowns), Karun has amassed quite the collection of friends over the years and his guest list reflected this. We were instructed to dress our best and I can say that everyone complied. From gowns and itsy bitsy dresses, to sparking saris, I loved the range. The birthday boy himself kept us on our toes, opting for a quick-change mid-way. The festivities included a fun photobooth, heartfelt speeches and lots of chatter all night long.
Now here’s where things take a rather interesting turn. This week I got to experience my very first live eating contest. Let me quickly clarify, I attended the competition, and was not a participant. The challenge? Finishing the Bahubaali thali at Ponnusamy Nungambakkam, a giant serving of 50 dishes, to be consumed in one hour. Phew. Enthusiastic teams-of-two lined up, all set to begin and I was happy to see the ladies represent as well. Once the whistle was blown, the fun truly began. At this point, I was glad to be an audience member and not a contestant. While everyone started with gusto, we started to see fatigue, exhaustion and a hilarious range of expressions. A few teams fell by the wayside, while others powered through. In the end, there was a clear winner who had all of us cheering him on until the last bite. On the foodie trail, the next stop was a bit of a drive away, to Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa for ‘Absolute Thai,’ a private dinner hosted by Speciality Chef Rungtiwa and Chef Devakumar, to announce their Thai Food Festival. Guests got to enjoy a fabulous evening with a mix of Thai favourities from different regions along with some of the chef’s specialty dishes.
We then make a quick stop at the Beauty Section with the launch of The Skincare Answer Book by Jaishree Sharad at Crossword, Express Avenue. In conversation with the author was actor Kalyani Priyadarshan, including the audience in their lively discussion, focusing on the complexities of modern skincare. As you can imagine, everyone had many many questions. The evening also included a fun quiz to help guests better understand their skin types and the products that would work best for them. Our next stop was at an event by the Save Shakti Foundation, announcing their Keep A Bowl initiative, creating awareness about the importance of water bowls for community animals. Free bowls were distributed to community feeders and animal lovers across Chennai, as part of this project and loads of popular faces from the industry were present to support the cause.
And while we’re on the subject of celebrities, we’ll finish with a dose of ‘Yellove’ and something for the cricket fans. Drone Company Garuda Aerospace honoured the Chennai Super Kings along with having them present the grand Drone Awards 2023. Present were Shivam Dube, Deepak Chahar and Devon Conway adding that extra excitement to the proceedings. There was also a display of different types of drones, a real feast for the gadget geeks.