After Manish Malhotra’s star-studded ode to 100 years of cinema on Day 1 of the Lakme Fashion Week, it fell upon the designers of Day 2 to keep the fashion flag flying high. And designers Anushka Khanna, Sougat Paul and Aartivijay Gupta seemed well suited for the job. Each of them had an inspiration of their own which was expressed in distinct statements on the ramp.

The Lakme Fashion Week — Summer/Resort 2012, took off to a flying start with a promising bunch of six GenNext designers presenting an impressive boutique. The six young guns took on various facets of design and presented their individual style statements through their creations. Debashri Samanta, a young designer from West Bengal emphasised on weaves and called her collection The Black Swan.

For those looking for a coherent lesson on abstract art, Nothing Is Absolute, at the Jehangir Nicholson Gallery, Mumbai, is an eye-opener. The exhibition, which has been curated by artist Mehlli Gobhai and poet and cultural theorist Ranjit Hoskote, proposes an unorthodox account of the diverse strands that form the history of abstract art. The collection of artworks has evolved from an ongoing conversation, over two decades, between Mehlli and Ranjit.

When I was on my way to spend an afternoon with the legendary painter Akbar Padamsee, I had very little idea about how it would turn out.

One glance at Nandita Das’s career graph will tell you that she has never played it safe. Taking up one challenging role after another, ever since her debut, she has always been different from her counterparts in the way she approaches her craft. Today her talent is recognised across the country and around the world. But if you ask her to describe herself, she uses the word “unambitious”.

Even at 85, Akbar Padamsee is as curious as a child.

When Shah Rukh Khan arrived at a hotel in Panchgani recently to announce the 13th Zee Cine Awards, Deepika Padukone sprung a surprise by accompanying him. The actress, who is currently shooting for Rohit Shetty’s Chennai Express with King Khan in the region, looked very comfortable in his presence.

Shah Rukh Khan was caught in a nostalgic mood at a recent media event in Panchgani. The actor, who is currently shooting for Chennai Express, says, “I had begun my journey in showbiz from here, when I came to Satara for the first time to shoot for Circus. I used to call it Sitara back then.”

The thing that draws most people towards paper pulp is that they don’t quite understand it. The texture itself is so many things at once that they are left wondering: Is it paper? Is it cloth? Or is it something else altogether.

“You have never seen 3D like that,” tells Irrfan Khan when asked to describe his next film Life of Pi. In times when so many Bollywood superstars are willing to give an arm and a leg to be cast in a Hollywood film, Irrfan is someone who has managed to get a first billing in that industry. And the actor seems mighty proud about that fact.