Sonali’s Society: Date night dope on Adarsh Gourav, while Vir Das wows

Mixed doublesBandra just witnessed a serious powerpairing crossover Angad Bedi and Neha Dhupia keep it effortlessly cool as they flank TVrsquos current lsquoitrsquo couple Tejasswi Prakash and Karan Kundrra for a sunny Tuesday outing Double the dates double the peace signsDate nightEver since he held his own and then some opposite Rajkummar Rao and Priyanka Chopra in The White Tiger Irsquove had my eye firmly on Adarsh Gourav Powerhouse performer Obviously But hersquos also a legit singer ridiculously sharp and annoyingly wellrounded mdash arty intellectual and still somehow funWhen hersquos not working Adarsh seems to live for the outdoors holidaying in the hills leaping off cliffs into murky ponds and adopting strays along the way Of course itrsquos been a while since hersquos had a proper vacation mdash these days hersquos making the most of Mumbairsquos rhythmAdarsh GouravOn Monday the actor stepped out for a night at Soho House with his striking ladylove Radhika Kolgaonkar accompanied by elder brother Vasishth Bhagavatula mdash playing either the third wheel or chief guest depending on your perspective The venue delivered beachy vibes and the perfect backdrop for a casual evening away from the spotlight though we definitely noticedHaving wrapped up pandemonious promotions for Tu Yaa Main last month a little downtime is overdue for Adarsh His last lsquotriprsquo was hosting a Hotstar docuseries on the disappearing tribes of Northeast India which is hardly a holiday ldquoNo vacation yetrdquo he laughs when we ask ldquobut soonrdquo If yoursquore taking notes Adarsh a serene hill retreat in Kasol or Manali might be the perfect escape mdash trekking riverside cafes and complete unplug vibes Closer to home and safer tooExotic escapes for all except Sanju SamsonWith war raging in West Asia the wellheeled are looking east for their escapes Last week Parineeti Chopra and her Rajya Sabha MP hubby Raghav Chadha were bingeing on mango sticky rice and coconut ice cream in Thailand while attending a family wedding Closer still was Hardik Pandya who headed to Alibag briefly with girlfriend Mahieka Sharma in towParineeti Chopra and Raghav ChadhaRhea Kapoor had a postbirthday break at the ultraluxe Amanpuri on a private peninsula in Phuket and while her azure ocean images were inviting filmmaker Farah Khanrsquos Goan getaway had us salivating mdash between a fish thali at Avorsquos Kitchen in Assagoa and apeacuteritifs at Anjunarsquos Jolene by the SeaIncidentally both Farahrsquos fabulous food choices were dictated by the Arora sisters Avorsquos was recommended by Malaika while Jolene is actually owned by Amrita Arora Ladak But back to our boys in blue Irsquove already dished out the deets on Rohit Sharma making merry in the Maldives with wife Ritika Sajdeh recently yet it is Sanju Samsonrsquos holiday mdash or lack thereof mdash that merits final mentionWhen asked why he was chilling in a roadside chai shop in Kerala while so many of his T20 World Cupwinning teammates were holidaying in exotic parts of the world Sanju was quick to clarify this wasnrsquot quintessential Samson ldquoThe reality is I also tried for exotic locations but nothing was availablerdquo Whorsquod have thought scoring an exotic escape is harder than hitting eighties and nineties in World Cup cricket Go east when the opportunity arises Sanju yoursquove certainly earned itParty PoliticsShaina NC and Supriya Sule may represent different ends of the political spectrum mdash Shaina as a firebrand voice in the Shinde factionrsquos Shiv Sena and Supriya as a seasoned parliamentarian with the NCP SP mdash but that doesnrsquot stop them from sharing professional respect and personal warmthShaina NC seated with Supriya Sule behind herIt was heartwarming to see both enjoying an evening out at a wedding in Pune over the weekend sharing a lighthearted moment with Aksha Kamboj of Aspect Global and Anamika Gautam Welcome proof that even politics can pause for a laughNurturing new talentNot that we needed another reason to be wowed by Vir Das but hersquos given us one anyway Days ago the Emmyawardwinning comedian offered an open invitation to emerging South Asian designers to dress him for his upcoming UK showVir DasldquoYou gotta be a new label nothing too fancyrdquo the standup star stipulated in a lsquocasting callrsquo for desi designers in London Not only will Vir wear their togs for his performance at the Royal Albert Hall on April 1 but also credit them pay them and return their clothes once his curtain call is completeThis isnrsquot a oneoff gesture mdash itrsquos a pattern When Vir became the first Indian to host the International Emmy Awards in 2024 he skipped the big fashion houses and spotlighted a young Delhibased designer instead handing Shubhangi Bajpai a global moment Now hersquos passing that spotlight forward again In consistently using his platform to lift others Vir proves that generosity can be as compelling as talent mdash if not more