Honouring a diplomat

ICCR director general Rakesh Kumar went all out to throw a lavish dinner do to honour the new foreign secretary Shyam Saran.

The occasion was to honour the new foreign secretary Shyam Saran. And to do this, ICCR director general Rakesh Kumar went all out to throw a lavish dinner do at a city hotel on Monday. Naturally you would expect the city’s culturetti to converge and congratulate Saran.

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The first and the most important table was occupied by people of eminence indeed: Kapila Vatsyan, Satish and Kiran Gujral, danseuse Uma Sharma and of course Saran’s and Kumar’s spouses.

Saran was the Indian ambassador to Nepal and Indonesia before taking charge of his new posting. “He is an economic diplomat,” said one of his aides.

As the evening progressed, guests mingled in happy spirits. Kathak exponent Shobhna Narayan (minus her pancake make-up) was her usual bubbly self, while Kuchipudi exponents Raja and Kaushalya Reddy tried hard to get noticed. Sitarist Prateek Chaudhuri stuck to his father and guru Debu Chaudhuri like a dutiful son.
Like father like son, of course, and they indeed justified the old saying: both were dressed similarly complete with colourful kurtas and beaded malas. “We are both camera shy unlike many other artists who would complain if they are not in the newspapers everyday,” said Chaudhuri junior. This, even as they struck a pose for our photographer!

Giving stiff competition to Gandhi in the sartorial department was Rajeev Lochan, Director of National Gallery of Modern Art. Also present were former Indian Ambassador to the US, Abid Hussain, eminent doctor Geeta Chaddha and Monika Mohta, Director (Pakistan).