Saawariya makes everyone weep! :

Sallu has everyone in splits

The director ensured that no one was left out as he personally welcomed each guest starting with Rishi and Neetu Kapoor. It was nostalgic to see Krishna Raj Kapoor lending support to her grandson. She was joined by her sons Randhir and Chimpu Kapoor as well as daughter Reema. Soon to arrive were Sonam's parents – Anil and Sunita Kapoor - joined by Surinder Kapoor . Also present were Sanjay Kapoor and wife Maheep as well as Boney Kapoor's son Ajay, who filled in for his dad's absence. Kunal Ganjawala, Ismail Darbar, Vaibhavi Merchant and Alka Yagnik were also present.

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Proud Daddies

The evening hosted by Mandira Bedi started with a Q&A with the men behind the music starting with music composer Monty Sharma, who is making his debut with the film as well as lyricist Sameer for whom Saawariya marks his 500th film as a lyricist. He said "if you want to work with Sanjay you need to have 499 films behind you!" Then came an unplugged rendition of the title song by playback singer Shailendra, who we were told had also done playback for Ranbir's dad Rishi Kapoor many years back. Then it was time for the mesmerising Richa Sharma to give us a sample of her thumri that echoes numerous times in the film and by the time she was done everyone present at the event was left completed stunned and speechless.

Who's the cooler one?

By the time Sanjay got to the stage – which like everything the filmmaker touches was very grand and theatrical - everyone was restless to see the young debutants who had been kept away from the cameras for the entire evening. And if the director had his way we probably wouldn't have seen them at all! The way Sanjay spoke about Ranbir and Sonam it almost felt like a proud father speaking about his two children. "From not wanting to let the music go out of my hands which it has today… I don't want to even let these two go. Working with them I have laughed so much that I feel I have become younger," said Bhansali.

Ranbir and Sonam are all smiles for the camera

Thanking his friends, Bhansali spent a moment to remember his dad and that's when the floodgates opened for everyone - for Sanjay who missed his dad and was about to see his fruit of labour take form to Anil Kapoor who knew his little daughter was about to begin a journey over which he would have next to no control to the entire Kapoor khandan who missed having the legendary Raj Kapoor in the house as they saw Bhansali's tribute to him with an RK banner in the backdrop of the film.

As Bhansali left the stage it was time to welcome the two most awaited debutants in the industry who purely on the basis of their lineage are born superstars and now have the huge responsibility of living up to the tag! Out walked Sonam with Salman Khan and Ranbir with Rani Mukherji. Both the young debutants Sonam and Ranbir were in tears as they thanked their family and director – who were also weeping - for their support. But with Salman on stage there was no way that the guests would be allowed to be melancholy even for a moment longer. Khan took over and spoke about how nervous he was about Ranbir's entry. Poking fun at his contemporaries – Aamir and SRK – he said looking at the two of them who have grown up before him make their debut with him he couldn't help but feel nervous for himself. He added with Ranbir not only taking off his shirt but also dropping his towel a la Rishi Kapoor in Bobby and with him giving his six-pack to SRK for the moment he definitely felt he was getting old now.

The final moment of the evening belonged to Anil and Rishi Kapoor who were called on to do the honours and release the music. Anil looking overjoyed did a small jig on stage while Rishi asked now that everyone's taps have opened when would the alcohol taps going to be opened!

Pics Credit: Sujit Jaiswal