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Deol in the sun

All for the family: Dharmendra

The party had everything -- quality hooch, gourmet grub, a galaxy of star guests, and by way of free entertainment, fisticuffs between two macho stars of the silver screen.

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Happened thusly: A high-flying industrialist with a yen to cover himself in stardust, if only by association, threw a bash at the Hotel Taj Mahal.

Entry was confined to the cream of Bombay industry and business, television stars, writers, painters, models, fashion designers -- and, since even the glitterati are by no means immune to glitz, the mandatory star-face or three.

The conversation flowed as smooth as the Glenlivet. And the stars held court. Here, a Vinod Khanna, glass in hand and smile plastered on face, in earnest conversation with an elderly gent. There, the Deol khandaan -- papa Dharmendra and sons Sunny and Bobby -- with their hangers on, err, hanging on, so to speak, to their every utterance.

Angry old man: Vinod Khanna

Now, an established fact of show business is that idol worship knows no blood loyalties -- thus, an Abhishek Bachchan is more likely to name a Shahrukh Khan as his favourite screen face. Thus, it was no wonder that a country cousin of the Deols, in a happy daze at finding himself breathing the same smoke-filled air as Vinod Khanna, went up to him, paper and pen in hand, asking for an autograph.

The face that launched a thousand bars of Cinthol soap was, at that time, deep in animated converse with an elderly gent -- and, therefore, in no mood to oblige the importune interruption of an excited fan.

Said fan, for his part, took the brush off with bad grace, and chased the Khanna around with his "autograph, please?" And, when brush off followed curt brush off, tried to pull rank by pointing out that he was blood kin to the legendary Deols.

Which -- as anyone well versed in the ways of showbiz machismo will tell you gratis -- is no way to endear yourself to a rival. I mean, Vinod Khanna and Dharmendra in their heydays vied for the machoman slot. And in the evening of their careers, both are producers promoting the screen careers of their respective offspring.

No wonder, then, that the Khanna's brush off became even more brusque. He pushed the importunate one out of his path, the latter lost his balance and clutched at the Khanna's coat sleeve, which in turn raised the former's blood pressure a couple of notches...

To fast forward the story, words -- each heated a degree higher than the previous one -- became deeds, a nice little scuffle broke out, and the assembled merrymakers, attracted by the unlooked for entertainment, crowded round the combatants.

The Deol clan wandered over to check out the scene and, finding one of his own at the receiving end of Khanna's acerbic tongue, patriarch Dharmendra promptly jumped in with both feet, mouthing choice Jat abuse.

Which, of course, only added fuel to Khanna's already smouldering fire.

Sunny and Bobby Deol, meanwhile, pretended to be part of the furniture and fixings -- well aware that their papa, when in his cups, had a truly democratic temper that took all humankind into its embrace, the two Deol siblings weren't going to attract their papa's attention.

So the two ageing macho men went at it.

And the guests nudged each other and sniggered.

Till mutual acquaintances stepped in and restored peace.

Both parties to the conflict, realising on sober -- at least, as sober as you can get after a drink or three -- reflection that they hadn't exactly covered themselves in glory, sidled out of the party very soon thereafter.

Embarrassment, after all, is not gregarious by nature.