Aishwarya Rai may have cut down on her film work since her marriage to Abhishek Bachchan, but she continues to have a high visual profile on the Mumbai social scene. Draped in a stunning pink sari, Rai presented Lifetime Achievement Awards to veteran actors Rishi Kapoor, Dharmendra and poet and lyricist Gulzar at the closing ceremony of Mumbai's International Film Festival, held at the JW Marriott, Bollywood’s favourite hangout hotel on Thursday 13 March.

On Saturday night she was out on the town again, this time with the entire Rai clan who attended the 7th Annual Sailor Today Seafarer Awards at the Park Plaza Royal Palms Hotel. A teary-eyed Rai presented her father, a former chief engineer with the merchant navy, with a Lifetime Achievement Award. The dutiful daughter stayed at her parents’ side all evening with brother Aditya and his wife, although Aishwarya’s husband could not attend as he had another engagement. My highlight of the evening was not the sizzling dance number performed by starlet Kim Sharma, but the Rai royalty on display in all their finery.

The Khans Mobile War

At the launch of Samsung's new range of mobile phones last Friday, Aamir Khan declared “Shahrukh Khan prefers being number two” - an obvious dig at his Shahrukh's endorsement of Nokia mobile phones.

Aamir celebrated his 43rd birthday last Friday with fans gathered outside his house. The actor, who was expected to shave his head for his role in the upcoming film Ghajini but decided against doing so, brought out a cake with three candles for the fans.

Gym bunnies

Bollywood’s beautiful bodies were in force at Watson Fitness, an upmarket gym in the suburb of Khar, for the launch of a new brand of fitness equipment. Hrithik Roshan, smartly dressed in a black shirt and jeans, wowed the crowds alongside his pregnant wife Sussanne. Former Miss Universe Lara Dutta looked splendid in a green dress, as did sultry beauty Bipasha Basu who had gone for an Amy Winehouse-style look with heavy mascara, short hair and a black dress. Basu warned the photographers not to take pictures of her with her mouth open: “If I see such a pic I’ll never pose for you”. Look out for Basu’s new look in her forthcoming film Race.

Shanti finds her beloved

“Yes, Ranbir and I are seeing each other” Deepika Padukone finally admitted, but don't expect her to reveal anything on her previous relationship with the cricketer Yuvraj Singh, having declared that she is "not commenting" on her past. Did she like Ranbir Kapoor’s nude scene in Saawariya (Beloved)? “I think it’s cool. I keep teasing him that he’s become a gay icon,” she said. Ranbir certainly enjoys his new status: “I have many gay friends; it’s not a problem”, he told me.

Hating the Love Guru

Mike Myer’s upcoming film The Love Guru has made him the latest victim of the self-appointed moral guardians of Hinduism in India and abroad. Featuring the tagline ‘His Karma is huge’, Myers plays an American raised in an Indian ashram who returns to the US as a spiritual teacher. Some Hindu leaders have objected to Hollywood making money by “laughing at our holy men" and so Paramount Pictures have responded by inviting the objectors to a private screening of the film ahead of its release on the 20th June.

Shilpa’s night out

On Monday night, I finally caught up with Shilpa Shetty. Clad in a sensuous sari, Shilpa was at a party where the highlight was a classical dance performance by 70s dream girl Hema Malini and her younger daughter Ahana. Also spotted at the party were Shilpa’s mom Sunanda with her trademark extra-large bindi, ageing ‘hero’ Jackie Shroff and retired actress Poonam ‘Noorie’ Dhillon.

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