A relaxed affair

Socialites headed to Hampshire Plaza hotel on Wednesday evening for the midnight buffet. Guests were seen interacting with the US Consul General Cornelius M. Keur and his wife Sommay at the do. The performance of ghazal singers complimented the relaxed ambience. Guests were heard raving about the cocktails and yummy food.
Spotted Sherry Javeri, Begum Naheed, Suman-Kamini Saraf, Rummy-Sunny Azad, Sunila, Liran Bakhtiyar, Zia-Mobashir, Laxmi Devi Raj, Amrit, the Alam Khans, Shravan and actor Eijaz Khan among others.

TITTLE TATTLE
Ever since Junior NTR’s clean image came crashing down when scandalous videos of him were posted online, other Tollywood party boys are on high alert. They are wary of who they are seen with, what they do and who’s clicking their photos.

An elegant launch

P3 regulars were seen catching up at the launch of a new line at a jewellery store in Banjara Hills. Actress Charmee looked ravishing in her red number and was seen bonding with guests after checking out the exquisite designs. Spotted Jayasudha, Anand Kabra, Kamini Saraf, Meena Reddy and others.

Reaching for the buzzer
Clubbers were seen racking their brains for answers in a quiz held at B&C on Wednesday night. Mark Reco pepped up the guests’ mood and everyone had a blast.

Partygoers were seen having a blast at the Lisa Haydon and Mandira Wirk show held at Spoil on Wednesday. Models walked the ramp in elegant creations after which everyone took to the dance floor. Spotted Bisket-Srikanth, Suresh Maniconda, Gunny Raju, Fusion 9’s Param, On’s Sandeep Bhatia, Khaja, Masi, Disha, Zubin Vicajee, Sanjana, Shivangi and Priyanka Saincher among others.

TITTLE TATTLE
Guess who’s the latest target of nosy P3Ps? Karthika, daughter of yesteryear’s actress Radha, who’s paired along with Nag Chaitanya in their forthcoming movie. Mean Tollywood actresses have already bared their claws about this new arrival and are talking about how she will fade away from everyone’s memories, just like her mom did.

Sari state of affairs

Smriti Kedia, in her mid twenties who works as an assistant manager with an NGO, was in for a rude shock a few days ago. After attending a wedding, she headed to a nightlub with a friend only to be told she wouldn’t be allowed since she was dra ped in a sari! “The pub manager told me that club rules don’t allow women in saris. Salwar Kameez and smart westerns were acceptable, we were told. A long argument followed, after which the manager softened his stand and extended an invitation and we spent some time at the pub. But the bitter experience spoilt the evening,” she recollects.

Smriti and her friend Karam Komireddy, a lawyer who accompanied her that evening, don’t see any logic to the rules. “It would have made sense if they said only western or Indian dressing was allowed. While they had no objection to women wearing salwar kameezes or kurtas, saris were not allowed,” adds Smriti. “It’s an irony that a woman dressed in a sari is unacceptable in a country where sari is the formal, national attire,” says Karam. “Agreed, it might be inconvenient for a woman to dance wearing a sari but then it’s a personal choice; she might just to want to just sit and enjoy music. The rule is sexist and unfair,” he adds.

The sorry state of saris and pubs is not unique to Hyderabad. Similar instances have been reported in Mumbai and Delhi as well. Reasons cited by pub owners vary from “maintaining a young, western atmosphere” to “smart western casuals as dresscode”.

Smriti’s experience is not an isolated one but very few women have been vocal about the issue. Most pubs, we observed, don’t enforce rules during afternoon and early evening hours. On ladies nights too, the dress code is relaxed to accommodate working women who might head to a nightclub after work. On Saturday nights though, sari is a definite no. “Recently at a pub, I noticed a youngster wearing track suits on the dance floor. It turned out that she headed to the pub after her yoga class. When a sports attire is accepted despite club rules, why not saris? Pub owners feel that sari doesn’t gel especially when there are events, say a Michael Jackson night,” says Dolly Singh, key accounts manager with a corporate firm.

Pub owners speak

Srikala Reddy, Touch

“Personally I think sari is a great attire. We are fine with women in saris in the restaurant Era and the lounge area. In the pub, we don’t encourage women in saris except on Sundays when we have Bollywood nights.

The club needs to maintain a certain profile. Youngsters who hang out at the pub aren’t sure of the profile if we relax the dress code. If there are private parties and invitees come dressed in saris, we make exceptions.”

Dheeraj Keswani, Excess

“We insist on smart casual dressing and the dress code demands that people come wearing appropriate shoes. But we don’t frown upon ethnic dressing. Most youngsters come dressed in smart westerns, though there have been women who have come to Excess after attending weddings. We haven’t turned them away.”

Shankar Krishnamurthi, Spoil

“We don’t allow men in shorts and slippers but have no reservation against women dressed in saris.”

A List Of Hyderabad Bars and Pubs

10 Downing Street

Gough Lines, Near My Home Tycoon, Lifestyle Bldg., Begumpet, Hyderabad
Phone 66629323, 9908816161.

Sweet Nirvana
Madhapur Bar, Restaurant Continental, Desserts, European, Italian
Plot No 105, Kavuri Hills,Next to State Art Gallery,Madhapur, Hyderabad,Phone 42414341, 42414343

Ginger Court

Madhapur,Bar,Restaurant, Continental
H No 1-74/1, Guttala,Hitech City,Madhapur, Hyderabad,Phone 23113733, 23113732, 23113733


Firangi Paani
Banjara Hills,Bar, Discotheque,Multi-cuisine
BJN Floor, City Centre Mall
Road No. 1
Banjara Hills, Hyderabad,Phone 66570000


Liquids

Banjara Hills,Bar, Lounge, Multi-cuisine,5th Floor, Bhaskar Plaza,Road No.1
Banjara Hills, Hyderabad,Phone 66259908, 66259907, 9849166009





The Waterfront
Necklace Road,Bar,Restaurant,Chinese, Coastal, Indian, Pan-Asian
Next to Eat Street,Necklace Road, Hyderabad,Phone 23308899, 65278899



Bottles 'n' Chimney
Begumpet, Bar, Lounge,Multi-cuisine,Near Tirumala Music Center,Begumpet, Hyderabad
Phone 27766464


Shilpi Garden Restaurant
Dilsukh Nagar,Bar, Restaurant,Chinese, Indian
9-22/G, Vedere Compelx,Dilsukh Nagar, Hyderabad,Phone 24150828


Club 8

Kondapur,Bar, Lounge,Chinese, Indian, Snacks,Behind Harsha Toyota Showroom,Kondapur, Hyderabad,Phone 23122222




Club 8
Begumpet, Bar, Lounge
6-3-1192/T/105, Lifestyle Building
Ground Floor
Begumpet, Hyderabad,Phone 23401111, 23409999


Tabla
Banjara Hills,Bar, Restaurant,Multi-cuisine,Road No. 1,Banjara Hills, Hyderabad,Phone 66828283


Xtreme Sports Bar

Banjara Hills,Bar
Ground Floor, Shop No. 3/4
Alcazar Plaza, Road No. 1
Banjara Hills, Hyderabad,Phone 9912669966, 6458 6166

Ladies Night with DJ Shekar and DJ Daryl

Ladies Night with DJ Shekar and DJ Daryl, what a way to start off the weekend Ladies. Not only do you have DJ Shekar and Daryl spinning hip hop all night long but drinks are on the house until 10:30pm.


Location: Zouk
Ashoka Metropolitan Mall, 4th Floor, Banjara Hills

Shaslik Slam In Begumpet

Deccan Pavilion brings wide array of shaskliks (veg and non veg), innovative adaptations of the skewered delights from the cacusus region.


Location
ITC Kakatiya Sheraton Hotel & Towers, Begumpet, Begumpet, Hyderabab

A delicious do

Many P3Ps headed to the launch of a restaurant in Jubilee Hills on Friday night. As most ladies are back in the city after vacations, they were seen catching up with each other and the mood was upbeat. The guests were seen digging into the yummy appetisers the chef dished out and heard raving about the ambience, that was done up in red, black and white. Spotted Sirisha, Sunil, Bikset-Sangeeta, Shiva-Priyanka and actor Subbaraju among others.