A wedding beckons writes Shalini Sharma

So the fairytale, dreamy wedding of Virushka has inspired yet another wedding. Sonam Kapoor has finally decided to take the plunge with beau Anand Ahuja, (You heard it here first). Ahuja is a very successful clothing retailer, based between Delhi and London and the reports are that he is a real diamond, so we are beyond happy for the beauteous and feisty Sonam. The wedding is in March and the big guessing game among fashionistas is which lucky designer gets to nail the wedding outfit of Bollywood’s leading fashion ambassador.

In these hysterical Instagram- driven times, the wedding ensemble has morphed into the most important guest at the wedding with reams devoted on how it behaved on the occasion. Sonam Kapoor (with sister Rhea as co-stylist) has never made any bones about her favourite fashion choices and it’s a no-brainer these three brands will make her top trousseau choices — Anamika Khanna, Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla and Ralph & Russo. Which fashion choices, other than these, will the gorgeous Sonam pick for the rest of the bridal festivities? What we do know is that she will make a spectacular bride.

* Remember art dealer Neville Tuli who shot into India’s art scene like a meteor and then just as quickly got snuffed out over authenticity issues about his artworks? Tuli had a super sharp brain with his finger keenly on the pulse of the future of India’s art and culture scene. Very few will recollect but he made a valiant attempt to buy Mumbai’s Opera House, more than a decade ago when it was run down and decrepit. He was also the first guy to discover the commercial charm of promoting old Bollywood posters. Tuli has been missing from action but from Delhi comes the news that romance has claimed him. It’s none other than Amitabh Bachchan’s niece, the artist Namrita Bachchan, daughter of Ramola and Ajitabh Bachchan. The two have been living together for some time and have even birthed a baby. And there’s more. Those natty suits that once got Tuli on all the best dressed lists in the country have been replaced by a matted ponytail, ganji T-shirts and flowing pyjamas. Someday, someone should write a book on this genius who unfortunately went nowhere.

* It’s that year when a dizzy list of India’s top designers will be celebrating 25 years of fashion so stand by for much drama from the couture world. Designer Ashish Soni celebrated his milestone with a fashion show that had Robert Vadra in loyal attendance. The Gandhi/Soni friendship goes back decades and very few are aware that Ashish, with active encouragement from Rahul Gandhi, set up weaving centres in Amethi, the political bastion of the Gandhi family. Priyanka and Rahul could not turn up for the show as they were committed attending the many farewell dinners hosted for Sonia Gandhi on her retirement as the Congress President. We spoke to the designer known for his sleek cuts and minimalist sensibility, who has remained true to his aesthetic despite the onslaught of effusive detailing on the Indian clothing market. In his words “high fashion is no longer high to me. I am ready to move from the luxury market to a larger audience.” We wish him the best in the mass market world.

* Party of the season award goes to jeweller Farah Khan Ali who threw a magnificent bash at the Khan famous mansion in Juhu. The theme was retro and after ages one saw Mumbai dressing to the nines and showing us what good old fashion glamour was all about!

Society insider Shalini Sharma has two decades experience observing and reporting on the commerce and confessions of people who are generously described as celebrities