VIP guests got the clicks, paying fans got refunds, and the city got the gossip
Messi Madness
The city (and practically the country) fell hook, line, and selfie stick for the much-hyped “Selfie with Messi” moment — only to realise later that the joke was quietly on them. Messi himself looked mildly disoriented, clearly wondering what he’d walked into, while a lucky inner circle — Rahul Gandhi, Azhar, MLAs, ministers and friends of the right friends — got their moments gratis. Those who paid a premium for the photo op and didn’t get it are being refunded.
Joke is even Rahul Gandhi chose to meet Messi here as he would not have got this kinda VIP treatment in Delhi. In apna city, he’s a star!
At Falaknuma, familiar faces like Vamsiram’s Subba Reddy, Aditya Reddy of Aditya Builders, Vinesh Reddy and several others were seen — waiting for their chance. Apparently, Subba Reddy and Aditya Reddy were big donors for the event.
Ananth Ambani calls the shots
Credit where it’s due — Anant Ambani once again showed how it’s done. No matter how global the star, the playbook is clear: You do what Jr Ambani wants. Messi prayed, meditated, performed Shivji abhishek, took part in the aarti, and followed every Ambani tradition to the tee at Vantara. And he got a lovely takeaway gift — reportedly a Rs 10 cr limited edition watch!
Parvati show all the way
If there’s one clear winner from the Messi spectacle, it’s Parvati Reddy. Glitches or not, the event has firmly placed her a few notches higher as a patron and planner to watch. While others dissected what went wrong, she is busy doing interviews — being celebrated across channels as the woman who pulled it off.
And she really did it. Was with Messi, CM Revanth Reddy and Rahul Gandhi throughout. This is just the begining. We hear the state government wants to rope her in for many more such events as she’s more capable than the sarkari officers.
And all those cribbing about the Rs 10-lakh selfie not happening, Parvati clarifies few missed out and she has returned the money.
New power player
Raghu Vamsi entered the city’s quieter power conversations this week after his Raghu Vamsi Aerospace Group launched a Rs 100 crore DeepTech design, production and integration facility at Hardware Park, near the international airport. As defence and space steadily reshape Hyderabad’s influence map, his move has not gone unnoticed in the right circles.
After hours, under watch
Insomnia Pub drew attention for reasons other than its crowd this week. A late-night patrol in Jubilee Hills found the venue allegedly operating beyond permitted hours, with a sizeable gathering still in place. A case against the management followed, prompting murmurs across the neighbourhood’s after-dark circuit.
Courtside, considered
Entrepreneur Deepti Akki is the driving force behind the Hyderabad Honey Badgers as Season 1 of the Telangana Pro Basketball League continues. With six teams, formal auctions and a confident opening on the 16th, the league is underway on a strong note. The Honey Badgers, with a reported Rs 27.5 lakh
