Tag: Alia Bhatt

RUBINA’S RADAR | JIO WORLD PLAZA OPENS IN MUMBAI

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NOVEMBER 1, 2023

Ahead of its opening on November 1st, 2023, Isha Ambani, Executive Director, Reliance Retail Ventures Limited, alongside her parents, Mukesh and Nita Ambani, hosted an extravagantly appointed preview of the Jio World Plaza at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai on October 31st. The Jio World Plaza’s nothing like India has ever seen, and it stands to change the landscape of luxury in India in a manner most indulgent, aspirational and consumeristic. Cartier, Dior, Rolex, Giorgio Armani, Saint Laurent, Gucci, Balenciaga, Valentino, Bottega Veneta, Burberry, Muji and Samsung are just some of the 66 luxury brands housed in the glimmering plaza, vying for your attention and your bucks, but of course. Tiffany & Co, Rimowa, Saint Laurent, Valentino, Versace, Bulgari and Pottery Barn marked their presence at the plaza, and in India, with their very first stores in the country. For culinary indulgences, coffee and sweet conversations, there’s the Parisian Laduree and the Italian Armani Cafe. Looking at the expanse of the space spread over four levels and the signages of brands, you can’t not think, jio luxury jio! Prior to the opening of JWP, luxury brands were compelled to open stores in hotels due to a dearth of quality retail space in the country. But thankfully, the plaza has called in the death of the archaic, hotel-housed luxury store model in India. The raison d’etre for the Jio World Plaza was best expressed by Nita Ambani, at the opening affair, “We want to bring the world to India and take India to the world.”

Jio World Plaza, Mumbai | Photographed by Rubina A Khan

The Cartier store, inaugurated by brand ambassador, Deepika Padukone, has the headlining space of 2500 square feet right at the entrance of the plaza. The rents at JWP are commensurate to the luxuries on offer, and the square footage of space, but naturally. Christian Dior’s Indian arm, Christian Dior Trading India has leased a space of 3317 square feet in the plaza from Reliance Industries for upwards of INR 21 Lakh a month, the rental of which is based on the minimum monthly guaranteed sum or net revenue share, contributions ranging from 4% to 12%, whichever is higher, as reported by Reuters. India’s 1.4 billion population is the largest in the world and real estate consultants, Knight Frank, estimate India will have 1.4 million millionaires by 2026, 77% more than in 2021, as the economy continues to grow. India’s per capita income as of 2023 is INR 1,92,000 ($2,300) and the country has more than 800,000 millionaires. These millionaires, who make up only 0.06% of India’s total population of 1.4 billion, are ready to flash and splash their cash on all things expensive, but not necessarily luxurious. After all, an expensive price tag is a hashtag to immediate Instagram fame and validation for some, and a discreet buy for connoisseurs of luxury.

Shloka and Akash Ambani, Mukesh Ambani and Radhika Merchant, ©Ranveer Singh, ©Isha Ambani and ©Nita Ambani | Photographed by Rubina A Khan

This is the third Reliance extravaganza of 2023 celebrating the international worlds of art, fashion, sports and culture in India. The Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre (NMACC) multi-day opening gala on April 1st, the 141st International Olympic Committee (IOC) session with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance at the Jio World Centre on October 14th and the Jio World Plaza opening on October 31st has had Indians entranced with the sheer scale of the build, both physical and fiscal, and the glamour power attached to them. The entire Jio complex, including the Jio World Garden, Jio World Drive and the Jio World Convention Centre, took about 13 years to build.

©Karisma Kapoor Jio World Plaza, Manish Malhotra and Rubina A Khan, Nora Fatehi, ©Alia Bhatt and Janhvi Kapoor | Photographed by Rubina A Khan

The JWP opening saw a theatrical fashion show, The New Order of Style, choreographed by Aparna and Anisha Bahl, showcasing eight designers, with 21 showstoppers, 40 performers and 120 models on the second level of the plaza, with an opening address by Isha Ambani, the hostess of the night. Manish Malhotra’s Bombay Bordeaux collection was fire and desire in bold colours and styles, with Karisma Kapoor working a red haute sari suit on her lithe frame, and Janhvi Kapoor, Nora Fatehi and Karan Johar walking the show for him. Abraham & Thakore’s collection was an artistic smorgasbord of delicious monochromatic blacks and whites. The original model mould and butt bold, John Abraham, walked for Satya Paul by Rajesh Pratap Singh. Miss Supranational Asia 2022, Ritika Khatnani walked for Ritu Kumar’s beautiful collection, as did Sara Ali Khan for Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, and many more beautiful ladies and gents walking for the designers. But can there be a fashion spectacle in Bombay without Ranveer Singh? Evidently not, and his runway appearance elicited roaring cheers from the guests as he walked in a bejewelled black dhoti and blazer at the end of the showing. Singh then went on to turn compere for the evening, bringing in Nita Ambani’s 60th birthday (November 1st) with effusive praise for her beauty, elegance and visionary work. She wore a gold Kanjivaram saree to the opening, made by master artisan, Somadas. Known as a Kanchi Pattu and woven in the korvai style in pure silk zari, from her yet-to-launch Swadesh initiative by the Reliance Foundation, the sari was an ode to India’s master craftsmen. Seated by Kokilaben Ambani, Mukesh and Nita Ambani, Akash and Shloka Ambani, Isha Ambani and Anand Piramal, Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant, were Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt, Kareena Kapoor, Pinky and Sanjay Reddy, and many more guests. Everyone looked fabulous and happy with the fashion theatre, culinary delights, late night shopping, open bars and the high ceilings.

Laila Lamba, Malaika Arora, Poonam Bhagat and Shalini Hinduja | Photographed by Rubina A Khan

FIVE THINGS I LOVED AT THE JIO WORLD PLAZA OPENING:

  1. The red carpet photo ops are held inside air-conditioned confines, with no one breaking into a sweat literally, with melting makeup, guests and photographers alike.
  2. Isha Ambani in Dior (she changed a few times through the evening – she does own the plaza after all!) Alia Bhatt in Gaurav Gupta and Malaika Arora in Alaia were the black beauties of the night.
  3. The basil and cinnamon ice cream and the Laduree macarons.
  4. Ranveer Singh’s sincere compering skills in a colloquial style that held the attention of the attendees.
  5. The plaza itself and that the evening was orchestrated flawlessly and impeccably with the most genteel and polite staff. I mean, even the security dogs barked politely!

Let the Reliance Return on Investments (RROI’s) begin as Reliance is here to play as you pay!

Disclaimer: Any part of the content on the rubinaakhan.com website cannot be reproduced without prior permission and crediting the website and the author. The © ahead of a name is the copyright of the subject in the photograph and not shot by Rubina A Khan.

©Rubina A Khan 2023

RUBINA’S RADAR | LIGHTS, CAMERA, DELHI!

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OCTOBER 20, 2023

New Delhi has been courting glamour with the 69th National Film Awards being held at Vigyan Bhawan on October 17th, 2023 and the Netflix series, Fabulous Lives kicking off filming in the capital for its third season next week. The third edition of the series has a new cast from Delhi added to the original cast from Bombay. Haute talk between the Mumbai and Delhi wives? Let the heads roll right into the tea spills!

NEW DELHI: Actors Alia Bhatt and Kriti Sanon won their first National Award for Best Actress – a joint honour for both with separate trophies of course – at the 69th National Film Awards at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi on October 17th, 2023. Bhatt won a very well-deserved award for her portrayal as the self-assured protagonist in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi and as did Sanon for her performance in Laxman Utekar’s Mimi. Sanon and Bhatt received their awards from President Droupadi Murmu, the former wearing a custom Manish Malhotra sari at the felicitation, and the latter, her ivory and gold wedding sari. India’s elegant beauty and legendary actor, Waheeda Rehman was conferred with the Dadasaheb Phalke Lifetime Achievement Award at the award ceremony. Interestingly, Allu Arjun made history by becoming the first Telugu actor to receive a National award for Best Actor for his performance in Pushpa: The Rise. 

©Alia Bhatt

NEW DELHI: The third season of the Fabulous Lives Of Bollywood Wives started filming in Mumbai this week with its original cast of the Bombay wives. Next week, it’s Delhi’s turn to take to the lights and cameras. This season of the series will see the glamorous and beautiful Riddhima Kapoor-Sahni, daughter of Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, alongside other Delhi wives added to the mix of the original Bollywood wives. The first and second editions of the Fabulous Lives aired on Netflix in November 2020 and September 2022, with actor Neelam, Bhavna Panday, Seema Sajdeh and Maheep Kapoor headlining the series, and Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan making a coupled cameo. Will we see Ranbir Kapoor make an appearance on the show for his sister? Maybe. There is also talk of Netflix renaming the show to just Fabulous Lives this season as the Delhi wives are not Bollywood wives. It could be very well be called Fabulous Lives Of Glamorous Wives, but then again, not everyone is glamorous or a wife in the cast this season. Glam damn! There’s still time to name it as the series is set to air in the second half of 2024.

©Riddhima Kapoor-Sahni

MUMBAI: Malaika Arora, the Khaleesi of sexy, in body and brain, struts a fashion runway like no other in India. She has been walking the walk for years now, carrying off every imaginable kind of garment with styled and poised ease. No season of fashion week, pret or couture, is complete without her panthera walk. And she definitely knows how to make coin, seducing the cameras with her sharp fashion face. A trained ballerina, Arora danced her way into every Indian’s heart with her graceful moves in Chaiyya Chaiyya atop a moving train in Dil Se, 25 years ago, and her ways and sways have been fire since. She does love the F word when it comes to her investment portfolio – Food, Fashion and Fitness. She has since evolved from dance numbers to crunching fiscal numbers in fashion (The Label Life), fitness (Diva Yoga) and food businesses as an investor and owner.

MUMBAI, INDIA – MAY 06: Malaika Arora attends the Chivas Glassware Alchemy 2023 Event on May 06, 2023 in Mumbai, India. (Photo by Rubina A. Khan/Getty Images)

She celebrates yet another age-defying birthday on October 23rd, making it a very Malaika Monday. Interestingly, she shares her birthday with British actor, Emilia Clarke who played Khaleesi on the Game Of Thrones.

Disclaimer: Any part of the content on the rubinaakhan.com website cannot be reproduced without prior permission and crediting the website and the author.

©Rubina A Khan 2023

RUBINA’S RADAR | ISHA AMBANI PIRAMAL IS INDIA’S NEWEST FASHION FORCE IN THE MAKING

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Fashion keeners are still effusing over Sabyasachi’s Kashgaar Bazaar runway presentation in collaboration with Christian Louboutin earlier this month. But more so, because they can’t have, rather can’t buy, what they saw! Sabyasachi’s stores in Kolkata, New Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai are inundated with requests from Sabyasachi enthusiasts everyday, for the beautiful Kashgaar Bazaar resort collection, only to be told that none of the 125 pieces shown on the runway will ever be made. Not even the green toga sari that Bollywood’s actor extraordinaire, Alia Bhatt wore to the show, or the bandhni lehenga (fresh off the runway) she wore soon after.

Alia Bhatt in a Sabyasachi toga sari | Photo: Alia Bhatt’s Instagram
Alia Bhatt in a Sabyasachi bandhni lehenga | Photo: Alia Bhatt’s Instagram

But guess whose natural beauty and poise, wearing a custom black sari made by Sabyasachi especially for the show, has been causing an anomalous fashion delirium since? None other than Mukesh and Nita Ambani’s daughter, Isha Ambani Piramal! Innumerable, not to mention persistent demands, are being made to the couturier for the black sari Isha had worn. “I do not do any merchandise change on client pressure. The black sari was always going to be a part of our production,” says Sabyasachi of the sari, that will soon retail a little over INR 1,00,000 for those desiring it. It sure ain’t easy overshadowing anything or anyone in Bollywood in India, particularly when it comes to fashion, but Isha seems to have done just that, by being herself. As I see it, Isha is India’s newest fashion force in the making. Black Sari Woman anyone?


Pinky Reddy hosted a celebratory lunch for her birthday on Saturday, April 20th, at Townhall, the latest restaurant on Mumbai’s ever-evolving culinary landscape for her friends in the city. Given Pinky’s convivial essence, it was an ebullient afternoon, well-attended by Mumbai’s beautiful women – Poonam Dhillon (who also had a birthday on the 18th) Rita Dhody, Poonam Bhagat, Rashmi Thackeray, Lali Dhawan, Laila Khan, Gayatri Oberoi, Madhoo Shah and Queenie Singh amongst many others.

The afternoon made me wonder if Cyndi Lauper’s classic track, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, should be reprised, and swiftly, as Women Just Wanna Take Selfies! Pinky’s husband, Sanjay Reddy, vice-chairman of the GVK conglomerate, was seen, given he’s taller than Amitabh Bachchan standing at all of six feet and five inches, but barely heard. But he made sure everyone was well taken care of, in quintessential Reddy style, disarming smile et al. This is what a real marriage is all about, rare, but there.

Disclaimer: Any part of the content on the rubinaakhan.com website cannot be reproduced without prior permission and crediting the website and the author.

©Rubina A Khan 2019

RUBINA’S RADAR | FDCI’S INDIA COUTURE WEEK 2017

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RUBINA’S RADAR 

The 10th edition of the Fashion Design Council of India’s (FDCI) India Couture Week 2017 (24th-31st July), was a splendacious celebration of India’s fashion vanguards at the Taj Palace Hotel in New Delhi. India Couture Week has earned its laurels for the past decade of being the best in the country with its marked excellence in fashion. And what’s a fashion week in India without some Bollywood stardust thrown in? ICW 2017’s couture catwalk had actors like Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Shilpa Shetty and many more walking for the participating couturiers.

TARUN TAHILIANI | Tarakanna:
Tarakanna was an alluring experience with an “evolved vocabulary of design” befitting the legendary status of Tahiliani and his majestic consummation of couture. His design constructs were fluid, almost seamless, in silk, velvet, brocade, Italian tulle and georgette, in hues of burnished rose, gold, olive, black, ivory, midnight blue and the de riguer bridal palette of red.  The unparalleled artistry of Tahiliani’s craft shone on the runway. As the models glided on to the breathtaking autumnal leaved set, designed to semble the end of autumn, Central Park in New York perhaps, the earthy tones came alive with the shimmering Swarovski crystal-embellished ensembles, all 85 of them, taking over the runway. The line alluded to a bride’s lightness of being, akin to her dancing in the glory of her marital coupling in bespoke designs, fitted not just to her body, but also to her soul. Scenographer Sumant Jayakrishnan’s visual aesthetic lent itself beautifully to the magnificent confluence of the Tarakanna line and the buoyancy of the human spirit it embodied. Throughout its duration, the show appeared to have suspended the audience in the most exalted place of happiness and wonderment, that stayed on long after it had ended. 

Tarun Tahiliani’s Tarakanna collection
Tarun Tahiliani’s Tarakanna collection
Tarun Tahiliani’s Tarakanna collection
Tarun Tahiliani’s Tarakanna collection
Tarun Tahiliani’s Tarakanna collection
Tarun Tahiliani’s Tarakanna collection
Tarun Tahiliani’s Tarakanna collection
Tarun Tahiliani’s Tarakanna collection
Tarun Tahiliani’s Tarakanna collection

MONISHA JAISING | Opera:
Sexy is a vibe Jaising shoots for consistently, and her Opera collection wasn’t left wanting in the least. The clothes were tantalising and edgy, and a tad theatrical too, primarily made in lamé, velvet metallics, Italian organza, banarasi brocade and metallic satins. The light and set design of the runway didn’t really take you into the world of operatic tenors and high octaves that inspired her line this season, as the models walked in her evening dresses and gowns, cocktail saris, crop tops and ball skirts. The multi-faceted actor-turned-businesswoman-turned-yoga-guru, Shilpa Shetty – a flawless showstopper who nails it every single time, tripped on the brocade train of her gown, not once, not twice, but four times, as it kept getting caught on the runway floor. To say that the runway nailed Shetty, rather than the other way around, would be an understatement here. Shetty of course, let it slide and slayed it forward on the runway, with a strut only her enviable body is capable of, coupled with the radiance of her persona.

Monisha Jaising’s Opera collection
Monisha Jaising’s Opera collection
Monisha Jaising’s Opera collection
Monisha Jaising’s Opera collection
Monisha Jaising’s Opera collection
Shilpa Shetty walks for Monisha Jaising’s Opera collection
Monisha Jaising’s Opera collection
Monisha Jaising’s Opera collection

ANITA DONGRE | Tree Of Love:
Anita Dongre is a relatively new entrant in the Indian couture and bridal wear landscape, having started her couture line, Bridal, only six years ago. But, she is a veteran player, and a very successful one at that in the prêt-à-porter business of fashion for the last two decades, with her labels – AND, Global Desi, Pink City and Grassroot. Dongre opened her first Grassroot store in Manhattan, New York, recently and will be opening the doors to her Bridal store there subsequently. Her Tree Of Love collection was inspired by the Bishnoi community and their spiritual reverence for nature. Dongre married her “love for trees, rich Indian craftsmanship and music into one joyous collection” with dominant shades of blue, green and red. Beautiful SEWA (Self Employed Women’s Association) embroidered tabards, paired with tulle skirts, mushroo and hand-embroidered tea-length dresses with gottapatti lehengas, obi belts, embroidered flat shoes and cross-body potli bags made up the very desirable contemporary bridal line. The uncut diamond jewellery from her Pink City line as stunning. Dongre’s runway felt like an Indian summer wedding, with the metallic trees adding dramatic flair to the aureate mood board.

Anita Dongre’s Tree Of Love collection
Anita Dongre’s Tree Of Love collection
Anita Dongre’s Tree Of Love collection
Anita Dongre’s Tree Of Love collection
Anita Dongre’s Tree Of Love collection
Anita Dongre’s Tree Of Love collection
Anita Dongre’s Tree Of Love collection
Anita Dongre’s Tree Of Love collection

GAURAV GUPTA | Moondust: 
Gaurav Gupta’s knows how to haute couture the runway up. Structure and form are Gupta’s forte and he plays that well, like a consumed installation artist, with “blurred boundaries of traditional and modern couture”, choosing to “sit on the cusp of both worlds”. The Moondust collection is Gupta’s interpretation of a surreal ball Cinderella went to, in sculpted ensembles created from translucent textiles in pale tones of grey, blue, green and teal, playing with shadow and light. Handcrafted embroideries and silhouettes accentuating one aspect of the body – either the legs, the back, the arms  or the shoulders – but never all at once, kept the collection elegant and sassy. Though he was going for an immersive experience with this line, it was anything but immersive. Aditi Rao Hydari was Gupta’s showstopper and surprisingly, she was one of the best ramp walkers in the lineup of Bollywood stars.

Gaurav Gupta’s Moondust collection
Gaurav Gupta’s Moondust collection
Gaurav Gupta’s Moondust collection
Aditit Rao Hydari in Gaurav Gupta’s Moondust collection
Gaurav Gupta’s Moondust collection
Gaurav Gupta’s Moondust collection
Gaurav Gupta’s Moondust collection
Gaurav Gupta’s Moondust collection
Gaurav Gupta’s Moondust collection

MANISH MALHOTRA | Sensual Affair:
Manish Malhotra’s exceedingly mirrored runway for his Sensual Affair collection, seemed to be asking, “Mirror mirror on the wall, on the ceiling and on the floor, Who is the grandest couturier of them all?” Satin organzas, silk tulles, satin velvets made up the fabric for Malhotra’s lehengas, sherwanis, voluminous skirts and gowns with trains and the gorgeous fitted corsets, in ivory, soft grey, vintage rose, burgundy and teal tones. The models swirled around on the gleaming catwalk, left, right and centre in a fast-paced, synchronised rhythm, showing off 85 ensembles, with not a second to breathe. It left you wanting to see more of the clothes, with just a little bit of stay. Rapturous glamour is what Malhotra does best, be it sensual, sexual or unusual. There is no one grand couturier of them all, but the grandest finale to a decade of couture at the India Couture Week 2017 was undeniably Malhotra’s, with Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh walking for him. The raucous screams that erupted throughout the show area were deafening and most definitely burst an eardrum or two amidst the audience in the excitement of it all. Tears were shed at not meeting Singh, who seems to be the star, no, superstar of Delhi. Sure he’s popular, but really? Bhatt was an enchanting delight on the runway as always, looking like the Bollywood belle of the ball. 

Ranveer Singh walks for Manish Malhotra’s Sensual Affair
Manish Malhotra, Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh
Alia Bhatt walks for Manish Malhotra’s Sensual Affair
Alia Bhatt walks for Manish Malhotra’s Sensual Affair
Alia Bhatt walks for Manish Malhotra’s Sensual Affair
Ranveer Singh and Alia Bhatt walk for Manish Malhotra’s Sensual Affair
Manish Malhotra’s Sensual Affair
Manish Malhotra’s Sensual Affair
Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh walk for Manish Malhotra’s Sensual Affair
Manish Malhotra’s Sensual Affair
Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh walk for Manish Malhotra’s Sensual Affair

Disclaimer: Any part of the content on the rubinaakhan.com website cannot be reproduced without prior permission and crediting the website and the author.

©Rubina A Khan 2017

Fashion Design Council Of India Presents India Fashion Week Autumn / Winter 2017

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The Fashion Design Council of India’s Fashion Week Autumn Winter 2017 edition celebrated India’s immense talent in the world of fashion, right from handloom revivalists to the unabashedly glamorous. Union Minister of Textiles Smriti Irani, Alia Bhatt and Union Minister for Women & Child Development Maneka Gandhi made for some great photo ops and the Delhi sunshine demanded iced lattes on the hour to keep up with the frenetic pace of the week.

Here is the FDCI presented India Fashion Week 2017 in pictures:

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Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium entrance

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Schulen Fernandes | Wendell Rodricks

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Schulen Fernandes | Wendell Rodricks

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Schulen Fernandes | Wendell Rodricks

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Siddartha Tytler

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Siddartha Tytler

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Alia Bhatt for Namrata Joshipura

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Malini Ramani

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Vaani Kapoor for Rina Dhaka

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Pankaj & Nidhi

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Nachiket Barve’s sari

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Madhu Jain

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Rara Avis sari

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Golden Threads of Assam mannequin

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Tarun Tahiliani & Amit Aggarwal’s Grand Finale

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Opening Day

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Opening Day

Getty Images

©Rubina A Khan 2017

Twinkle Khanna Launches Her Second Book, The Legend Of Lakshmi Prasad

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Rubina A Khan interviews the multifaceted author Twinkle Khanna for Gulf News:

Twinkle Khanna’s first book, Mrs Funnybones went into reprint over 25 times, and her second book, The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, published by Juggernaut Books has already gone into its second print run of another 50,000 copies in the first month of its launch! The book was released on Tuesday evening at the JW Marriott Juhu in Mumbai and had Shabana Azmi, Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt reading excerpts from the same, with Karan Johar in conversation with the author. Khanna has evidently got the business of funny right, not just in her bones, but also in the literary world, with her distinct voice being read and heard, and most importantly, loved. The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad, currently at the number two spot on the Amazon India bestseller list, is a collection of stories that stem from inspired experiences in her life.

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Twinkle Khanna at the launch of her second book, The Legend of Lakshmi Prasad

“I was doing some research for a column when I chanced upon Arunachalam Muruganantham’s life, and his incredible work of making low-cost sanitary napkins for women. His story gripped me and that’s when I sat down, wrote the first few pages and sent them off to my editor to take a look. Then I began chasing Muruga and after innumerable, lengthy interviews, he agreed to let me fictionalize his story and that is how this book came into being. The other stories then followed, as they were all topics I had briefly touched upon through my columns and now, I could weave substantial tales around them,” says Khanna of the book’s existence.

The elemental difference in the narrative style between Mrs Funnybones and Lakshmi Prasad is that Khanna wrote the former in first person, in a “laugh-a-minute sort of narrative” and the latter in third person, “touching upon social issues in a light-hearted manner.” Khanna expands on her choice of publisher for Lakshmi Prasad, with a whimsy that is quintessentially her. “Chiki Sarkar was my editor and publisher at Penguin when I wrote Mrs Funnybones and so when she left to establish her own publishing house, Juggernaut Books, I just followed her like Mary’s little lamb.” She plays down her irreverent sense of wit, with a real, grounded sense of self. “My family is filled with oddballs and we all indulge in playful banter and pull each other’s legs. It’s not as much as them enjoying my company, as much it is for all us to just be together, making each other laugh. It has been a gratifying couple of years now since I wrote my first book. I bump into readers everywhere I go and I think the greatest compliment is that people have stopped asking me about anything else except my writing and I love that.”

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Karan Johar in conversation with Twinkle Khanna at the launch

A strong black coffee in the morning, followed by endless cups of green and peppermint tea throughout the day fuel the mother, wife, daughter, interior designer and writer in her. But it’s the coffee she had recently with Karan Johar on his show, Koffee With Karan Season 5, alongside her husband Akshay Kumar that’s got everyone talking. From her husband’s size (shoe-size!) to Johar’s preference of keeping his mike in a part of his anatomy that’s best left unseen and unwritten, gave viewers an almost uncensored version of her unabashedly humorous and mocking self. If there was any doubt in anyone’s mind that she was not the brain behind her writings, KWK dispelled it all with one clean and hilarious swipe on the show that left even Johar and the viewers stumped for words. “I don’t think a brain has been established inside my head; everyone has a brain and I just looked after mine pretty well by feeding it lots of books. I am really not concerned with how people, men as well as women, perceive me, whether I am sexier now that I seem to have a brain or otherwise.”

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Akshay Kumar and Ranbir Kapoor

Now that she’s a bestselling author, her words are platinum, especially to an aspiring writer. “I would tell anyone who wants to get published to read everything they can get their hands on and that they establish a routine of writing every single day. Literary agents look for something they call a ‘voice’ that’s distinctive, remarkable and defining and the best writers have one, and you can hear it echoing in your head when you read their work. A writer needs to have a distinctive style as well in order to make it easier for them to find a publisher for their works.”

When she’s not busy observing the world and writing on it, Khanna loves reading to her four-year-old daughter Nitara. “I read every single day to her. Nitara shares my love for reading and also has a curious mind like mine. She is fascinated by Julia Donaldson’s books at the moment,” says the glamorous mother of two.

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Ranbir Kapoor read an excerpt from the book

This feature first appeared in Gulf News on November 17, 2016

©Rubina A Khan 2016