“I’ll make fun of Mira Nair, but only up to a point,” said Daily Show correspondent and Mumbai native Aasif Mandvi, calling to discuss his gig hosting the Gotham Independent Film Awards.“I’m the only Indian actor that she still doesn’t know is Indian,” continued Mr. Mandvi of Ms. Nair, a presenter at the awards. “’Cause she’s never hired me. So obviously she must not know I’m Indian. I’m excited to let her know I’m of the tribe!” Presenters (and comic fodder) include Mickey Rourke, who has just been getting progressively stranger since 9 ½ Weeks; scruffy divorcee Ethan Hawke; perky Amy Adams; attitudinal sister-girlfriend Marisa Tomei; and indefatigable gossip film, which he wrote with comedic scribe (and fine hubby of an Observer editor!) Jon Bines. “It’s a movie called 7 to the Palace and it’s about an Indian restaurant in Jackson Heights,” said Mr. Mandvi. “Originally we had a whole horror movie concept we were working on and then we said, ‘Let’s make it a comedy!’” Further uptown, Domino editor Deborah Needleman signs The Book of Decorating at Bergdorf Goodman over cocktails with social types such as Celerie Kemble, Charlotte Moss and Queer Eye vet Thom Filicia. But Ms. Needleman’s mind was still on Thanksgiving when she emailed the other day: “Just did a count today and realized I’m having 25 people to my house,” she wrote (that would be the Tribeca loft she shares with hubby Jacob Weisberg). “Want to ditch the turkey, because who likes turkey? Not me. If turkey was so good, we’d cook it year round. I’d like a big leg of lamb. But my children won’t let me. I do make a killer cranberry sauce, but that is really because it involves two cups of sugar. What doesn’t taste good with two cups of sugar in it?”
[Gotham Independent Film Awards, Cipriani Wall Street, 55 Wall Street, 6:30 p.m., 212-465-8200; Domino: The Book of Decorating signing, Bergdorf Goodman, Fifth Avenue at 58th Street, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.]
mbryan@observer.com
