Asha Parekh's grand 70th birthday bash faces Gandhian trouble

Asha Parekh is all set to turn 70 on 2 October (2012). She is planning a grand birthday bash at the Sun ‘n’ Sand where all her friends, well-wishers and colleagues from the film fraternity would gather to celebrate. But there’s a problem. Asha Parekh’s birthday happens to coincide with Mahatma Gandhi’s birthday. And as we all know the Mahatma was anti-alcohol. In deference to the Mahatma allegiance to teetotalism the powers-that-be have declared a non-alcohol day on 2 October. Ashaji would have none of that alcoholic abstinence on her big day. She has therefore shifted her birthday bash by a day. Says the feisty forever-fun-loving actress, “I’ve been planning my 70th birthday party for a while now. I don’t host parties. The last time I had a bash was for my 60th birthday ten years ago. I want me and my friends to have full-on fun for my birthday. So I’ve shifted my party by a day because 2 October is ‘dry’ day in Maharashtra.” Ashaji makes it clear she wants her party to be fun . “And not some boring affair with people holding juice glasses in their hands and making small-talk. There would be lots of music, dancing, singing and drinking. And please, no songs from my own films. That would be so vain.” Guests have already been informed to block the evening of 1 October. The vast guest list would be top-lined by the entire Bachchan family, Dilip Kumar & Saira Banu, Sadhana, Waheeda Rehman, Nanda, Aamir Khan and wife, Salman Khan and Family, Shah Rukh & Gauri Khan, Priyanka Chopra and family, Yash Chopra & Family, Karan Johar and mom,Shabana Azmi & Javed Akhtar, Hema Malini & Dharmendra, plus many more. Says Ashaji, “I want everyone I’ve known to be there. I’ll miss my co-stars Shammi Kapoor, Joy Mukherjee and Rajesh Khanna all of whom I lost this year. But I’d want their families to be there.”