GECs
Lucknow witnesses second Sahara wedding
LUCKNOW: All roads Saturday led to Sahara Shahar, the glittering private estate of Sahara group owner Subrata Roy, whose younger son Seemanto tied the nuptial with knot with Chandni on Valentine’s Day.
“It is like a festival in fairyland,” summed up one of the guests who had flown in from New Delhi for what was described as the mother of all weddings.
If 5,000 guests, including 1,500 VIPs had attended elder son Sushanto’s marriage on February 10, the number was even larger Saturday night.
Other than deputy prime minister LK Advani, former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao, a number of governors, Central ministers, chief ministers and other politicians from across the country, Saturday’s guest list included the members of the Indian cricket team, the hockey team, leading media personalities, industrial barons and nearly every star from not only Mumbai but also from Kolkata and the southern states.
A disappointment was the absence of former US president Bill Clinton who was earlier expected to join the celebrations.
While Aishwarya Rai, who has been camping in Sahara Shahar for the past five days, continued to play hostess, Big ‘B’ Amitabh Bachchan amazed all and sundry with his welcome note on the public address system. He greeted the guests in Hindi and in English.
Seventeen chartered flights ferried VIP guests on the Delhi-Lucknow and Mumbai-Lucknow routes. Choppers then took them from the airport to the Sahara Shahar complex’s private helipad.
An entire terminal of Lucknow airport was taken over for this operation.
As with the first wedding, some 45,000 designer candles from Twinkle Khanna’s stable adorned an artificial lake in the sprawling 200-acre Sahara Shahar.
Some 500 florists bedecked the entire complex in orchids, carnations and roses. According to an insider, 110 varieties of cuisine together with Swiss and Belgian chocolates and the choicest of French wines were included in the spread.
Spanish and Mexican music added to the flavour of the evening.
GECs
Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe win Masterchef India season finale
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor joins judges for emotional MasterChef finale
MUMBAI: The latest season of MasterChef India concluded on a high note, with brothers Vikram Gandhe and Ajinkya Gandhe crowned winners in the grand finale aired on Sony Entertainment Television.
The duo from Nagpur lifted the coveted trophy and donned the show’s signature golden apron after a season that celebrated India’s diverse culinary traditions under the theme “Pride of India”.
This edition of the popular cooking reality show introduced a new jodi format, with 50 pairs from across the country competing in the Masterchef kitchen. Contestants brought personal stories, regional flavours and family bonds to the competition.
The grand finale featured the final three pairs: Vikram and Ajinkya Gandhe (brothers), Saisree and Chanda (mother and daughter), and Anju and Manju (sisters).
The finale was attended by celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor, who joined the show’s judging panel comprising Vikas Khanna, Ranveer Brar and Kunal Kapur.
Kapoor said the show has long served as a platform to celebrate India’s rich culinary heritage and provide passionate home cooks with a national stage. He noted that the current season reflected a confident India that takes pride in its roots while embracing new culinary ideas.
Judge Vikas Khanna said the contestants’ journeys and the memories created during the season would remain with the team long after the show’s conclusion. Ranveer Brar described the show as a family that continues to grow with every season, while Kunal Kapur praised the contestants’ creativity and determination.
With the finale now concluded, the latest season of MasterChef India once again highlighted how food can reflect identity, heritage and storytelling, inspiring home cooks across the country to pursue their culinary ambitions.
