JUST FRIENDS: Hawn, Khan and Mansingh

Unlike most Hollywood celebrities, Goldie Hawn’s fascination for India goes well beyond the inanimate. The prominent actor turned up at the lone Indian bash hosted by Ambassador Lalit Mansingh and said, “I am just here to meet up with my friends.” Of which she has many of the order of Parmeshwar Godrej and below. But that apart, the Hollywood star is also planning to make a movie in India, in the process joining an emerging list of Hollywood players proceeding to India seek collaborative ventures in entertainment. The very American Oscar Awards may have eluded the Indian Lagaan team but Hawn will perhaps end up luckier with the sundry award ceremonies in India.
Ab Bharat door nahin.

Designer Blues

TRIPLE DOSE: Anand, Vijay and Ashok

The Lagaan Khan was not the only Indian who lost out when it mattered most. Another one slated to hog the limelight who ended up on the sidelines was the New York-based Malayalee designer Anand Jon. While not in contention for any trophy, he was in the running to fit out the star. Though Aamir Khan eventually opted for a rival designer, he has reserved the sherwani crafted by Jon for another occasion. A blend of western and eastern fashion, the sherwani is sooner or later going to grace an event with Khan determined to make a fresh pitch at Hollywood. One can’t, after all, keep a good thing down for long.

PERIOD PLAY: Athaiya with Gowarikar

Costume Drama

Ever wondered how Lagaan managed to get across that period look? Costumes, of course, played the biggest role. The woman behind the effort—Bhanu Athaiya. Having herself been on the big stage to receive an Oscar for costume designing for Gandhi, Athaiya was a moral support to the Lagaan team. Bhanu Tai, as she is fondly addressed, is also a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture of Arts since 1996 but could not vote for Lagaan because it was in the foreign film category. After dressing up the Lagaan team on screen, Athaiya herself came elegantly attired to most of the pre-Oscar dos.

The Ace Player

Among the prominent celebrities of Indian origin, the Amritraj brothers turned up with their families at the Mansingh do. An Academy member for years, Ashok Amritraj is also on its Board of Foreign Films, which, unfortunately to most Indians, does not decide the Oscar award in the category. His production house continues to churn out films, having just completed one with Dustin Hoffman and launched yet another with Steve Martin. But as Amritraj says, his prize catch is this year’s Oscar winner, Denzel Washington. One more Training Day?

—By Anil Padmanabhan