Will Rahul Gandhi attend Tom Cruise's Mumbai bash?

There's good new and bad news about Tom Cruise's visit to Mumbai this weekend.

First the bad news: Cruise's wife Katie Holmes and daughter Suri won't be coming to India.

"Sad but true," informs well-placed sources from Paramount and Viacom 18. "Katie, Suri and Tom's adopted son Connor Antony, who were supposed to accompany him to Mumbai, have opted out. The Mission Impossible 4 world tour has taken its toll on the kids and Katie has decided not to travel to India with them."

So now the entire focus of attention during Tom Cruise's two-day visit to Mumbai is... Tom Cruise!

And there's a big Cruise bash being planned by his official hosts Viacom 18.

Says the source, "We've narrowed down on two dates -- December 3 and 4 -- and two venues, the Taj Rooftop and the Four Seasons. Cruise's representatives are exploring the two possibilities. The final call on when and where the party will happen is entirely Tom's say-so. Only the invitees would be informed of the venue."

If you think the guest of honour is playing hardball over the dos and don'ts of his visit, here's his more accommodating side.

Tom has left the guest list for the super-exclusive 200-guest party entirely to his hosts Viacom 18, and they, in turn, have left it to Anil Kapoor.

Apparently, Tom has expressed a desire to meet certain Indian dignitaries like Sonia and Rahul Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. From the film industry, he is apparently keen to meet Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan.

Says the source, "It seems impossible to get Soniaji to attend but we're working on getting Rahul Gandhi over for the party. There are other non-filmi guests from across the country whom we would like Tom to meet. He's a terrific guy, eager to make the best of his Indian visit. He has told his hosts that he would like to meet people who make a difference to the country."