HARISH TURNS 50!

Gaurav Wadhwani

Today (Thursday, April 28th) marks the 50th birthday of Harish Wadhwani! Get those calls and emails in to wish this wonderful man on this big milestone in his life!

Harish's Contact Details
London Mobile No: +447956 569 752
E-mail: Hariram@aol.com

Happy Birthday Dad!

Gluttons Galore!

Vikki Wadhwani

The annual Wadhwani Gathering of the Gluttons (informally: everyday) met last week Friday 8th April, at Pankaj Samtani's beautiful apartment in Manhattan. Wadhwanis and Samtanis chomped delicately on light small-chop, which was followed by a delectable main course, hailing from Thailand. Evening entertainment was provided by all the kids - they taught us how to dance, how to sing, and how to gamble...having exhausted the pocketbooks of Rosie Chachi, Auntie Rattan, and Bina Auntie, the kids peer pressured their elders to throw their coveted jewelry into the mix...Fortunately, the voice of reason (coming from a worried-looking Gul uncle) stopped the kids from gaining riches beyond their wildest dreams...

The real gluttony took place of course late in the evening, after rounds of wine, lychee martinis (this editor's newfound weakness), and Champers. Family members dropped their poker chips with glazed eyes, stopped all conversation, and hurriedly ended their last hand of Hold 'Em. Within 30 seconds, everyone had gathered at the dessert bar...it seemed that Sanjana and Pankaj had been saving the best for last! In one swift motion, they unleashed heavenly rich chocolate cake, divine cheesecake, sumptuously delicious ice-cream, and juicy fat strawberries (for fruit intake) on our boggled minds...we didn't know whether to dig in or just stand there drooling, appreciating the beauty that is - Dessert.

Soon enough our senses kicked in and family members fought tooth-and-nail for a slice of the pie (literally). Let it be known that when I say Tooth-and-Nail I mean the Indian way:
"Noooo noo...me-re Diabetes... please, you have it.."
"Nooo you have it, nah?"
"...Oh okay...just a smaaall slice......a little more...a little more..vhy don't I just help myself..."

At around 1.00 a.m. we departed from Casa de Pankaj and headed back to our own abodes, infinitely less healthy, less wealthy (except for Kabu and Pravu), but DEFINITELY wiser.

Disclaimer: :) All in jest, yaar, all in jest...

Only the Best, for the Best! Godiva Ice-cream, fruit (as garnish), and cake cake cake! Sanjana does the honours, with Kabir "helping"...otherwise known as "first-in-line!"  

TrendReport: ManBags

Vikki Wadhwani

As the more fashion-forward of you will no doubt be aware, recent seasons have seen the advent of the "ManBag." This is, as the name suggests, a convenient yet thoroughly macho way for any man to tow around his wallet, shades, etc. Companies such as Louis Vuitton and Gucci offer fabulous versions of this boyish-baggage - our very own Girish has long been an advocate of the ManBag (LV naturally, putu!) so therefore it MUST be alright; no Wadhwani man would ever be seen looking girlish!

Everybody knows that these days Asia is the harbinger of many of the latest trends, and we see below our beloved Rahul (China returned), son of Yashna & Mohit, toting around the very latest in kiddie (and male)-fashion. Okay, so he borrowed this particular model from his equally trendy cousin Henna, but we here at WadhwaniWorld think he carries it well...Wouldn't you agree???

"I'm too sexy for the catwalk, yeah, on the catwalk yeah, I shake my lil tush on the catwalk..." 

WadhwaniWorld Goes From Strength to Strength

Gaurav Wadhwani

The WadhwaniWorld editorial staff are pleased to announce the expansion of our London division, culminating in the hire of budding young talent Lavish Wadhwani. After months of persuasion, attempted bribery and a final last-ditch offer of a £10,000 signing-on bonus and 350 days holiday per year, Lavish finally agreed to join the team (which currently consists of Gaurav and Vikki). Despite being hounded by racism in recent times, Lavish boasts an impressive curriculum vitae, having written for both the Independent on Sunday newspaper and the well-received Gaulav Express (the magazine me and Lav founded when I was about 12 and he was 10). As you will no doubt appreciate, his first two articles are straight from the top drawer; as such, we are proud to show our readers that ambitious, unabashed expansion need not equate to any compromise in quality. Many see Lavish's recruitment as a signal that top management are pursuing a policy of hiring only the best Wadhwanis - so those of you who want to write, you better have top-notch resumes. Its simply not enough to be a Wadhwani in this World anymore. Are any of you up to it?

VACANCY

Position: WadhwaniWorld Correspondent

Location: We have openings primarily in London, Mumbai and New York, but are always willing to open new offices.

Salary: The warm feeling that your are contributing to the rich legacy of the Wadhwani family, stretching back to Sindh. Money cant buy that.

Background: You need to be either a Wadhwani, Samtani or Kirplani. Even Wall's and Shah's are welcome. Applicants with other surnames are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. You need to be between 5 and 90 years old. Its not often that Pravir will compete with the likes of Nari and Kishore for a job, but thats life in an equal opportunities world. N & K may boast more experience, but Prav can bring fresh ideas to the job, and the ability to think out of the (jack in the) box.

Annual holiday: 350 days per year (that means we want about 15 articles a year, more if your up for it)

Perks: The chance to work with a talented team, comprising Gaurav, Vikki and Lavish. Combined age: 63. Combined IQ: 630.

A Wadhwani on Campus!

Lavish Wadhwani

Given our strong sense of familial unity, a Wadhwani's campus life may seem difficult to really fathom. So when push came to shove last September, I have to admit I was a tad nervous of leaving behind the creature comforts of home, even though I was buoyed on by the recent positive experiences of other Wadhwanis currently living the campus life (in the US). However, I soon found that there was nothing to be afraid of!

Within a few days I discovered that the Wadhwani's campus life isn't too far a cry from the good ol' fashioned Wadhwani wedding (speaking of which, someone please get married already- it's been too long since we all congregated together!) With the never-ending supply of alcohol and continued jovial banter every night (not to mention the heartfelt singing that followed hours later), I soon felt as if I was back at another Wadhwani get-together, minus the table-banging and use of glassware as musical instruments.

Contrary to previous exaggerated reports, no such racism exists at the campus where I'm currently at- in fact, a strong Asian community prevails, which means that its not uncommon on some nights to have Hindi classics of all eras belted out through the speakers. From the more classic sounds of ''Jab Koi Baat'' to more modern works, such as those of our very own Sanjeev (''DJ Don'') every song gets the full dancefloor treatment- again, another similarity to Wadhwani weddings. So my advice to the current young'ns coming up- don't hesitate to head outta town for college when the time comes along. The irony is that while you might be on a campus, you'll feel right at home!

Wadhwani Boys Lap it up at German "Exhibition"

Lavish Wadhwani

Earlier this year, three members of the Wadhwani clan seized the opportunity to take advantage of the first signs of spring setting upon Europe by making an 6-day excursion to the land of entertaining late-night channels and the Volkswagen. Upon their return, Kishore, Girish and Lavish Wadhwani presented photographic evidence of their travails at the annual CeBIT fair in Hanover, extinguishing in the process various persistent rumours and concerns about the real purpose of their visit.

Accompanied by the expertise of fellow partners Gulab Nihalani and Stephen Currie, the Wadhwani males represented each generation admirably by plugging their product hard all day at the exhibition and spreading their inherent charm amongst the local public. By far the most successful exponent of this was the experienced old hand of Kishore, who showed Gill and Lav how to do it by schmoozing his way amongst the local feminine talent with his stylish German, finely honed from his college days. Father and son looked on as 'Killer K' oozed confidence and brought blonde-haired beauties swooning at his feet with unfailing ease. Girish and Lavish had to do with dutifully playing their part by distracting their husbands.

By night, the activities of the group still remains somewhat of a mystery; we do know that Gulab kept alive the good spirit by his comic antics, such as challenging the local waiters in Hindi when they persisted speaking to him in German. Staying in a cosy house with a family of 5 on the outskirts of the city, it is hard to see how they would have found time to paint the town red, given the demanding hours of the exhibition. But a month on, it seems that all work doesn't necessarily make a Wadhwani a dull boy.

Lavstar in "Stunning" Career Move

Lavish paid a 1 week visit to his favourite US city last week - New York. He came mainly to launch his much anticipated career-move, from Economics-star to Rap Superstar! Now answering only to "Lavstar," Lavish makes his debut with a bumpie-shaking hit - "No.1 Stunna." Shot in NY's PM and Coral Room, and with lyrics such as:

"Girl, I'll give you many Carats, til you feel like you a rabbit...,"

Lavish is bound to rocket into the company of such Desi Babes as Ash, Kareena, et al. Don't forget to take the rest of the Wadhwani boys with you, Lavs! He also managed a publicity meet&greet with his new-found fans at JaiYa Thai, where he was beseiged with requests from the waitresses to sign their "No.1 Stunnas." Needless to say, he willingly obliged...and gained yet another free (supposedly) medium-spicy meal at the popular eaterie.

I must stress, Lavish's visit wasn't purely for commercial gain...he was also here to spend time with his adoring and only sister Vikki, as well as to pay a long-overdue visit to the whole Wadhwani Clan (NY/LI side). A shrewd Sindhi, Lavish used his amiable demeanor and lovable humor to sponge free meals from the generous Reshma, Sapna & Nitin, Anil & Bubble, and Sanjana & Vijay (Thank You ALL).

Lavstar plans to release his album Carats & Chokris right after his new song debuts on India's hottest adult-only phenomenon show: "Chokris Gone Chari!" Future plans include a mix album in collaboration with other Wadhwani great, Sanjeev - which drops December 24th 2005 in Mumbai. Keep your eyes open for a tour date in the Edison, NJ area, as well as another visit perhaps during the Summer of 2005.

Enjoy these exclusive pics!

Lavstar on location for his new video in NYC 

Lavstar and Vikki adoring baby Riana...Lavs here trying to pinch her cheeks off... 

MARCH UPDATE

Gaurav Wadhwani

I returned home last night after a short trip to Bombay in which I had surgery for a longstanding knee injury (see article below if you're interested!). Thankfully the surgery went well, and my trip to Bombay was enjoyable and relaxing. I was fortunate enough to meet much of the family. Various chachas and chachis were at hand to help, including Crescent stalwarts Nari, Nirmla, Roshan, Kishore and Rekha. I also met Jawahar who came over briefly to get a piece of the Crescent action he has been missing so sorely. Sanjeev and Junelia's smiling faces eased the pain, whilst I am most grateful to my father Harish for his unwavering support. Thanks Dad!

The Wadhwani Lair (Crescent 1st floor) was undergoing something of an overhaul during my stay - not only was our flat in the midst of refurbishment, but so was Nari's and Kishore's. It seems that Wadhwanis are finally keen to embrace modernity in the ancient, delapidated surroundings of Crescent.

Unfortunately the family was the recipient of some sad news this week. Prakash Wadhwani, beloved father of Shaan, Neil and Jay and brother to Kiku (Surendra) and Kavita, passed away following a heart attack. My own encounters with Prakash were fairly limited but I knew him to be a gregarious, fun-loving and infinitely warm individual who was very fond of us kids. The whole family was shocked and upset to hear of his death; our thoughts are with Prakash's wife and three sons, who are much-loved members of the Wadhwani clan. I personally feel very close to you guys and wish you all the best during this tough period. We are all there for you.