Roving Eye — Pune

Winning edge`Kodak Photogenic Face' and `Mr. Poona' runner-up for 1998, Rakesh Bapat has his gaze fixed on the stars right now... and not...

Winning edge
`Kodak Photogenic Face’ and `Mr. Poona’ runner-up for 1998, Rakesh Bapat has his gaze fixed on the stars right now… and not without reason. He is among the 25 finalists for the Grasim Mr. India contest, to be held on January 16, 1999. Bapat will be the only representative from the Western zone, chosen out of 78 contestants. Bapat’s confidence has certainly zoomed after defeating the others hands down.

Explains Bapat, “At the preliminary contest in Mumbai, the judges asked all the participants, except me, a question. I was feeling real bad, I kept thinking that something was wrong with me. Later I learnt that I had given very honest answers in my application form, so I was not required to answer any questions on stage. For example, we were asked to complete – I want to be…. I replied, `a class apart,’ whereas most had given cliched answers and said they wanted to become humanitarians.”

At present, the 20-year-old `believer-in-himself’ is working out and praying that he wins the crown. And there is a lot at stake. The winner sashays away with Rs. 3 lakh and a car. Well, here’s wishing the young lad all the best!

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December dos
Christmas and New Year are round the corner and all the hot spots are planning some snazzy entertainment for the revellers. The Pride Hotel, however, laid out their plans long ago and starting December 20, a carnival of events has been unleashed.

It has tied up with Razzberry Rhinoceros and Samuel Davidson of Mumbai, to ring in the New Year to the sounds of some hi-calibre music. From December 20 to January 1, the Pastry Hut lures you with sumptuous Christmas goodies from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. From December 20 to 24, there’s live carol singing in the lobby, while the kiddies’ party on December 23, 4.30 to 8.30 p.m. takes the children into Santa’s Magic Land. And on December 25, a champagne Christmas brunch will include the use of the health club and swimming pool and unlimited champagne on the house.

From the evening of December 24, the New Year celebrations begin at the Regal Hall. The Razz-rhino Carnival starts 8.30 p.m. onward and every evening, expert DJs Asad, Remi, Amit, Tony and Manoj will organise the music. Beatles Live with Harmony Incorporated on December 28, Country Western Nite on 29th, Jazz and Funk on 30th and the Countdown to the Millenium on the 31st are highlights to look forward to. Howzzat for an exciting New Year?

Fashion, with a twist
With so many fashion shows being presented in the city, how do you make yours the most happening one? On December 18, Residency Club had another fashion show. This time it was by Bunny’s Designerwear. And to make it interesting, they had Jojo from Mumbai give a live performance. So minis and gowns were interspersed with Roop Tera Mastana and Subah Subah Jab Khidki Khole…. Besides this, there were surprise contests sprung on the audience.

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Prizes were given for the woman with the longest hair, highest heels, biggest paunch and so on. Of course, no woman came up to show off her paunch so that prize was taken away by Edward of the Jet Set band. Prerna and Sohni were declared the women with the longest hair while Mili was the `most beautiful woman’ at the show. Plain old-fashioned shows are no longer fashionable, you just have to make a song and dance about it.