IT was a congregation of grannies. But there were no wrinkled saris and spectacles, stooping over a walking stick, or endless sessions of devotional songs.

The gathering of new-age grannies in the Tollygunge Club of Kolkata was as glamorous, fashionable event as any other swish do in the city.

Not only did the grannies have a ball of a time, they also sizzled on the ramp. The show was called, rightly enough, 'Grandglams.'

For years, India has been reiterating a stereotypical image of a grandmother, be it in folk tales or real life.

Hindi film industry towed the line - this typical image by portraying characters enacted by the Lalita Pawars and Sulochanas, playing the grandmother's role perfectly in keeping with the stereotype.

Their salt and pepper bunch of hair neatly tied behind the neck, they coughed, slouching and holding on their painful backs.

Meet the New Age grandmom. She is a far cry from the stereotype - so far that now she is changing the stereotype!

She bounces out of bed before dawn and goes non-stop till late at night, and navigates the slippery terrain of multitasking with panache.

It seems that for her, old age is a matter of personal choice and not a genetic diktat.

Today's grandmom reads bestsellers, is a BBC and a CNN buff, plays golf and tennis, net-chats and sums up the day occasionally over a rum punch or a mocktail. Some of them are successful professionals too.

Here's another good news for the glam grannies.

An international Grandmom pageant has been announced recently.

It's time to take on the world and bring home the crown!

Photograph: Getty Images

In the photograph: Veteran actress and dancer Hema Malini