Ka-ching! The stakes got seriously high at city’s taash parties this Diwali

Taash

parties are back and how! After being reduced to extremely low-key, hush-hush affairs for the last few years, it seems like the sparkle is back at Diwali shindigs this festive season.

“It’s back to the good ol’ days again. We’ve had some fabulous (taash) parties in the city the past week, and it finally feels Taash parties are back and how! After being reduced to extremely low-key, hush-hush affairs for the last few years, it seems like the sparkle is back at Diwali shindigs this festive season. “It’s back to the good ol’ days again. We’ve had some fabulous (taash) parties in the city the past week, and it finally feels like Diwali in Hyderabad,” says a P3 regular who won Rs 5 lakh at a recent high profile do at

Jubilee Hills

.

WHERE’S THE PARTY TONIGHT?

hotels and fancy wedding venues are passe... The parties are happening at swanky residences that are spruced up exclusively for the revelry. “At a recent do, the hosts converted their palatial

Banjara Hills

residence into a multi-level party spot, complete with a casino-like ambience, with ‘exotic’ bartenders serving flaming shots. It was a blast for the 200-odd guests, who partied well into the morning,” says a party regular.

A CASINO RIGHT AT HOME

Hosts of these exclusive house parties are going all out to make sure their guests who want to gamble, get a real casino rush, right at home. “This season, people are flying in casino professionals from Goa and Mumbai. They set up everything you need to play roulette, poker, Blackjack and the works, including Vegas-style vending machines. nobody plays with cash. They set up ‘banks’ or ‘buy-in’ counters from where the guests get money converted into ‘chips’ before moving onto their tables,” says a city hotshot. Even those who wish to go for a more traditional decor with marigolds, diyas and chandeliers are shelling out anything upwards of Rs 2 lakh just for the decor. “At one party I went to, the hosts had bedcovers with card game themed prints, and pocket space for bankers,” says a party regular, adding that this year a lot of youngsters, as young as 25, joined the ‘party’ scene.

STAKES GO SKY HIGH

A table could start anywhere between Rs 10000 and rs 25000, and the real serious players, go up to Rs 10 lakhs.
“At a recent party the buy-in for a table started at Rs 12 lakhs. It all depends on how deep your pockets are, how good your luck is and how far you are willing to go. i know someone who bought five banks at a party the other day!” says a businessman.

EXOTIC CUSINIE

The menu at these parties would put a lot of fancy restaurants to shame, says a party hopper. “At one do recently, they converted their 10000 sqft terrace into a massive party space, and each corner had live counters with food from various cities. So you had a bombay bazar dishing out chutney sandwiches and vada pavs while the ‘parathe wali galli’ had the most amazing rage of Dilli food. There was a calcutta bazar with jhal muri and puchkas. Spirits flowed free from the bar counters which also had thadai in exotic flavours for the teetotlers.”
In fact, most of these parties wrap up only post breakfast. The best caterers from town are present here with their lives counters dishing out hot dosa, idli, vadas...


GOA IS A HOTSPOT FOR HYDERABADI TAASH BRIGADE

A mover and shaker whisked 50-odd friends away for a long weekend at a posh beach resort in Goa, where they spent all their time playing Rummy, teen patti, Blackjack, poker... you name it! “In fact, a lot of Hyderabadis have been flying to Goa for these exclusive Diwali bashes,” confesses a guest, who spoke to us from the party.
Then there are plush farm houses on the outskirts of the city, where P3Ps indulge in their taash revelry, while quite a few parties also happen at what’s called the “notorious suites” at posh hotels in the city.