A fashion show for charity event in the City recently was surprisingly unattended by the `entire social circuit’ of Bangalore, who usually can give a relative’s funeral a miss to be seen at a do. The miserly response to the auction is not even worth mentioning. A little probe enlightened Metrolife that a donation ticket was required to be at this charitable event, speaking volumes of the spirit of the so-called `Page 3’ of Bangalore. A designer at the function was overheard saying, “In Mumbai and Delhi, our clothes at charitable auctions are sold for lakhs of rupees. Here they are bargaining! This is embarrassing.”

Madhur Bhandarkar’s landmark film Page 3 may have exposed the trivial celeb society of Mumbai and Delhi. But Bangalore’s Page 3 is one-of-its kind.

Pointless Arbid Gathering of Entities (to the power of) 3 - PAGE 3. Simple observation by many, but true. Socialites make Page 3 in Mumbai and Delhi. But Page 3 have made socialites in Bangalore. New faces have emerged over time and attained the status of a socialite. Glitz and glamour gravitate one and many. And in Bangalore the pull seems to be only stronger.

Comparing Bangalore’s Page 3 to Mumbai and Delhi, designer Manoviraj Khosla strikes, “Bangalore’s Page 3 is a bunch of people who are of no consequence, except a handful. They are arbid people who come just to get clicked by the photographer and hop to the next event to get clicked again. They are simply social climbers. In Delhi and Mumbai too there is a section of such people. But Bangalore’s Page 3 is made up of these only. I would rate it one out of ten.”

Fashion choreographer Sheetal Sharma opines, “Bangaloreans unfortunately believe that if they make it to Page 3, they have arrived. I say, achieve something first. The drive is higher because it’s a new concept here. Page 3 in Bangalore is so diluted.”

Non-achievers are making it to Page 3 in Bangalore, say many. Agrees Rakhee Lalvani, director PR (South India) for Taj Hotels, “In Mumbai, you have the creme de la creme who make Page 3 - industrialists, actors or the stinking rich. Bangalore’s Page 3 comprises of non-achievers who simply like to party-hop.”

Echoing her thought, a party organiser says, “The real achievers do not want to come. I have had reputed artists telling me that they will come to the party only if I ensure that their pictures are not clicked. They don’t want to be a part of the inconsequential Page 3 of Bangalore. Celebs from Mumbai and Delhi are amused to see our Page 3. They always ask for details. And I simply refer to them as ‘Old Bangaloreans’. We have to invite them because whatever said and done, they have become popular faces over time.”

Model-turned-actor Tarun Arora recalls the time when photographers failed to recognise him when he returned from Mumbai after his Bollywood stint. “Bangalore’s Page 3 has faces I have never seen or heard of. It upset me to see that photographers didn’t even recognise me at a do. I have walked the biggest ramps and done films. At least feature those Bangaloreans who have made a name outside the City.”

Fashion guru Prasad Bidapa has often got grabbed by bunch of random girls for a quick photograph, rendering him clueless. Writing off the Page 3 - phenomenon, Prasad says, “Page 3 is the single-most pointless exercise.

The concept was genuinely developed for select achievers to get together. But anyone can get into Page 3 today. It puts me to shame to be there because I am genuinely there for work. Everybody loves to be on Page 3 but that should not be the sole criterion.”

Prasad recalls, “Once a wedding of an unknown couple was covered. We all called up each other to get details.

Nobody knew them. Why are they on Page 3?” To which Manoviraj says, “They simply pay for it or discreetly pay the photographers. And the most useless person has the biggest photograph.”

A true socialite is one who makes it from Page 1 to Page 3. With this hopefully Page 3 of Bangalore turns over a new leaf...

Who deserves to be on Pg 3

One cannot deny the buzz that Page 3 phenomenon has created in the City. But the quality is still absent as the real achievers are unwilling to attend the dos to avoid being clubbed with the wannabe Page 3ites. So, who deserves to be on Page 3 here and why?

Says Prasad, “Manoviraj for putting Bangalore on the national fashion map, quirky dress sense and being a party animal; classy Kiran Mazumdar Shaw and Dr Vijay Mallya. Actually, an editor should be signed specifically for Page 3, who must evaluate and set a benchmark for the deserving.”

Manoviraj adds Prasad Bidapa and RJ Rohit Barker to the list. Sheetal continues, “Prasad Bidapa, for he has worked hard and is an icon for the City. Creative fields like art, fashion, theatre and literature should comprise Page 3.”

Tarun believes that sportsmen and the Kannada film stars should occupy a big space. And Rakhee feels that respected artists from art and literary fields like Arundhati Nag, Anita Nair, Azim Premji and top Kannada stars should make it to Page 3.