Sonali's Society

Inconvenience unlimitedNot even a luxury SUV can escape the BMC obstacle course as Pooja Hegde discovered on Monday Heading into a meeting at the Roy Kapur Films office the actorrsquos leopard print athleisure was jungle ready mdash since navigating these Khar lanes is basically an urban safariThe art of the announcementSunday arrived with a splash of joy as Sonam Kapoor and Anand Ahuja announced the birth of their second child a bonny baby boy While social media erupted with a chorus of congratulations mdash including warm reposts from the likes of Kareena Kapoor Khan mdash we found ourselves looking past the announcement itself focusing instead on the impeccable style of its deliverySonam Kapoor and Anand AhujaGiven this is Sonam mdash a fashionista who infuses every milestone with her signature flair mdash we should not be surprised but this was no cookiecutter creative Instead a warm watercolour featuring a serene protagonist in a flourishing world signalled that this digital debut was distinctly the work of Dhruvi AcharyaldquoSonam got in touch with me a few weeks ago through Chemould Prescott Roadrdquo the artist confirmed ldquoShe wanted something joyous to welcome the new baby and so this bespoke artwork was created especially for herrdquoThe bespoke baby announcementWhile creating a birth announcement is a first for the acclaimed Mumbaibased artist this was not her first brush with the actor ldquoSonam has collected my works before and is familiar with my practice so I was happy to do thisrdquo Dhruvi reveals As we delve into the thought process behind the piece the sentiment is clear ldquoDespite the current climate we have a beautiful planet and each new life delivers hoperdquoDhruvi AcharyaGracing the digital announcement and select keepsake gifts the vibrant illustration isnrsquot the end of this collaboration mdash it goes deeper A second separate piece has been commissioned as a personal gift for the baby mdash this one a formal work on canvas Itrsquos a fitting welcome for a child born into a family that clearly values art as much as heritageDance floor diplomacyIf you needed proof that Mumbairsquos social fabric is as flexible as a yoga instructor Mishka Kambojrsquos birthday bash at the St Regis on Saturday was it Hosted by Aspect Globalrsquos Aksha and Mohit Kamboj Bharatiya the night wasnrsquot just a lsquoSweet 16rsquo mdash it was a masterclass in highstakes diplomacyBirthday girl Mishka Shaina NC Aksha Kamboj and Manish MunotThe jawdropper Aaditya Thackeray making an appearance effectively cooling years of heated political volleys with a single guestlist entry While many murmured about this delicate thaw the dance floor told a very different story There the electric duo of Ranveer Singh and Sanjay Dutt took over riding high on their recent blockbuster momentum Grooving to Aari Aari they captured the predominant mood perfectly mdash uninhibited highenergy and utterly BollywoodFrom Radhika Merchant and Anant Ambani to Shaina NC and Manish Munot the night saw a steady stream of heavy hitters making their presence felt AP Dhillon Shilpa Shetty robed in red Kaykasshan Patel Suniel Shetty Jackie Shroff and Preity Zinta attended too alongside Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis capping off an eventful day And just when the party seemed to have peaked Shah Rukh Khan made a suave cameo effortlessly elevating the roomrsquos already staggering star power With an eclectic mix of power players under one roof the message was clear even the sharpest rivalries can soften under the right chandelierFrom ballroom to boundariesIf the St Regis was Saturdayrsquos political peace summit the Wankhede was the victory lap Less than 24 hours after Mishka Kambojrsquos cake was cut many of the same power players swapped their couture for jerseys to witness Mumbai Indians finally break their 14year openinggame jinx against Kolkata Knight RidersRohit SharmaThe list was led by Anant Ambani with the lsquoKamboj effectrsquo visible in the VIP stands Shah Rukh Khan stayed absent after the previous nightrsquos revelry sending his best lsquorepresentativesrsquo mdash Suhana and AbRam Khan mdash to cheer for the Knights instead Ananya Panday and Shanaya Kapoor offered backup Meanwhile the home side had the loudest support from Dhurandhar star Sara Arjun who was spotted postgame with Ishaan KhatterAs Rohit Sharma dismantled the KKR attack and Shardul Thakur dominated on his MI debut the atmosphere mirrored the previous nightrsquos energy undeniably highoctane It seems the cityrsquos elite only need a few hours of sleep before theyrsquore back at it mdash trading social diplomacy for stadium dominanceParty politicsIn a city that never sleeps and certainly never stops networking the social circuit is the real seat of power Itrsquos no wonder then that our leaders must be as comfortable at a preopening puja as they are in a policy huddle This past Saturday Devendra Fadnavis navigated that lsquoSocial CMrsquo mandate with surgical precisionDevendra FadnavisHis marathon day began at the PULSE 2026 Summit where he oversaw 15 MoUs worth Rs 720 crore including a highprofile academic tieup with the University of Leeds By evening he was headlining a Rs 1800 crore hospitality preopening in Powai alongside real estate royalty Vijayta and Nikhil K RahejaValidating a dualhotel project with 300 keys and a massive convention centre the move signalled a major play for Mumbairsquos global MICE ambitions But the dayrsquos diplomacy didnrsquot end with the industrial elite mdash as night fell Fadnavis headed to Lower Parel to toast a highprofile birthday Where the political is always personal the party is just another podium mdash one where access optics and alliances are forged long after office hours