Mallika at IFFLA benefit

Mallika Sherawat and Ashok Amritraj

MALIBU, CA: It was a gorgeous, brisk day as an elegantly attired group converged on Malibu Family Wines Vineyard...

MALIBU, CA: It was a gorgeous, brisk day as an elegantly attired group converged on Malibu Family Wines Vineyard at Saddlerock Ranch for a wine tasting luncheon on March 15 to benefit the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA). Guests enjoyed a private tour of the winery and sampled Semler and Saddlerock wines, while music from DJ Qasim and Karan played in the background.

The assembly then dined on sumptuous fare provided by long-standing IFFLA sponsor Chakra Cuisine. Festival Director Christina Marouda, Wells Fargo's Vice President and Regional Manager Shaffi Poswal, and Bollywood film star Mallika Sherawat addressed the crowd prior to a live celebrity auction. Auctioneer Tere Morris kept the event lively with hilarious yet tantalizing descriptions of the auction items which included a photo shoot with Mallika Sherawat, a wine-tasting dinner hosted by famed Hollywood producer Ashok Amritraj, a day on the set with The Big Bang Theory's Kunal Nayyar, a date with actor Rupak Ginn (The Cheetah Girls: One World), and a box for 4 to the "India Calling" summer concert at the Hollywood Bowl.

After the auction concluded, Aniketa Shinde and Varun Gurunath of NDM Bollywood Dance Productions and Studios performed. The afternoon ended with guests greatly anticipating the upcoming seventh annual IFFLA from April 21-26 at ArcLight Hollywood.