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Dubai crowds make a fashion statement
DUBAI: Dubai seems to be virtually always on fashion parade mode. If the Zee cine awards was anything to go by.
Forget the plunging necklines, rising hemlines, glimpses of thongs too. The latest and the best in trends were on display at the award show and, later, at the post-event party at a five-star hotel where the discotheque played popular songs from Kal Ho Na Ho. But not sported by the stars. The trendy and hip were Dubai residents and tourists who let their down – and with a vengeance.
Contrary to their Hollywood counterparts, Bollywood stars generally dress demurely for such award shows. Imagine mast mast girl Urmila Matondkar in a conservative dress compared to the skimpy clothes she has sported in umpteen films. No wonder she also got an award for a film, Bhoot, which was far removed from the glamorous roles that one is accustomed to seeing her in.
Sush Sen may have swayed to funky beats in Fiza revealing her navel and curvaceous figure, but in Dubai, she covered up for the show. Ditto for Esha Deol. Probably, the presence of papa Dharam, who still looks garam, compelled Esha to dress conservatively.
But living up to their image of sexy sirens were Shilpa Shetty and Katrina Kaif, the second host of the award evening. Shilpas neckline plunged just enough to fire up imagination and Katrinas black figure hugging western outfit played up her figure, which seemed to have lost a few kilos here and
there.
As one guest pointed out, Love (referring to Kaifs reported romance with Salman) seems to have knocked off some weight off Katrina.
The gent men from Bollywood preferred, mostly, formal suits, except Karan Johar, who sees to be reveling in translucent shirts these days.
But an average Dubai denizen dressed more trendily than the stars and the disco was a testimony of it. Even as a couple of belly dancers swayed, people got into the mood to swing along with the likes of Arshad Warsis, Maria Gorettis, Sonu Nigams and Shaans.
News Broadcasting
WITT Summit 2026 concludes in New Delhi
Babar Azam’s comical diving attempt goes viral as league introduces anti-dew measures.
MUMBAI: The WITT Summit just wrapped up with enough big ideas to fill a policy playbook because when India’s leaders, thinkers and icons gather under one roof, even the conversations hit sixes. The eighth edition of TV9 Network’s flagship What India Thinks Today (WITT) Summit 2026 concluded on Saturday after two days of dynamic discussions at its New Delhi venue. India’s largest multi-domain public policy and culture summit brought together political leaders, policymakers, sports icons, artists and technology innovators to examine the forces shaping contemporary India and its global standing.
Prime minister Narendra Modi delivered the keynote address on the theme “India and the World” for the third consecutive year. In a wide-ranging speech, he addressed the ongoing conflict in West Asia, calling for restraint and compassion while highlighting India’s continued development trajectory despite global turmoil.
The summit featured candid conversations with state leaders. Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy articulated a people-first governance model and contrasted it with other development approaches. Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav declared that Left-wing extremism had been effectively eliminated in his state and highlighted preparations for the upcoming Kumbh Mela. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann defended his government’s record, citing the closure of 19 toll plazas and creation of the Sadak Suraksha Force. Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar expressed confidence in Congress prospects in Assam and addressed recent allegations against him.
On geopolitics and national security, Union Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia outlined India’s ambition to become a builder of trusted digital infrastructure for the world, citing the rapid 5G rollout and village-level 4G connectivity.
Cricket received significant attention. Former India captain Sourav Ganguly praised player freedom and trust as hallmarks of great leadership and named MS Dhoni as the greatest captain due to his World Cup successes. India women’s team bowling coach Aavishkar Salvi credited the BCCI and Women’s Premier League for building a pipeline of world-class talent behind the team’s recent ODI World Cup triumph.
The summit also hosted the inaugural AI² Awards 2026, celebrating the convergence of human creativity and machine intelligence in storytelling and content creation. Poet and kathavachak Kumar Vishwas delivered a nuanced take on India’s concept of Dharma and criticised the recent arrest of an 80-year-old Shankaracharya. Veteran lyricist Sameer Anjaan and storyteller Neelesh Misra reflected on changing music trends and artistic responsibility in the wake of a recent controversy involving Nora Fatehi.
In a country where conversations often run as deep as the Ganges, the WITT Summit proved once again that when leaders, thinkers and storytellers come together, the real winner is public discourse lively, layered and refreshingly unafraid to tackle the big questions shaping India’s tomorrow.
