There’s no party quite like a Bollywood Diwali party in Mumbai where the most photographed and selfied-with faces in show business step out of their homes, wearing only the finest couture, almost akin to an off-site fashion show, with their dazzling ensembles and jewels, some bordering on ostentatious, to attend the glamorous Diwali parties being held in the city on the biggest holiday of the Indian calendar year.
This is a time to celebrate the victory of good over evil, in quintessential Bollywood style, with magnificence and splendour dominating every aspect of the celebrations right from the décor to the food to the eclectic guest lists. The busiest of actors try to fly back home to celebrate Diwali with family, taking a break from their frenetic shooting schedules all over the world.
Aside from the glittering parties, Diwali is also the most coveted weekend of all for big-ticket releases from time immemorial, long before the Khans — Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir — hit the Bollywood marquee. 2015 is no different with superstar Salman Khan reprising filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya’s most beloved and romantic on-screen protagonist, Prem, that he’s portrayed in Maine Pyar Kiya (1989), Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994) and Hum Saath Saath Hain (1999), in this year’s firecracker of a release, Prem Ratan Dhan Payo, that hits theatres on November 12.
Expectations are sky high from this Khan starrer as he’s been turning the tables on the word blockbuster itself with his Eid release, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, made millions (and still counting!) at the box office. And that’s not all. Khan’s Sultan where he plays a wrestler, is already slated for either an Eid or Diwali 2016 release; such is the lure of the shimmering Diwali weekend.
Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan attend a previous Diwali celebration at the Bachchan home Jalsa in Mumbai
The first of the big Diwali bashes this year is being hosted by Akshay Kumar and wife Twinkle Khanna, on November 9, both of whom have had a terrific year professionally (But then again, when does Kumar not have a profitable business year?)
“We have been hosting a Diwali party at home ever since we got married fourteen years ago. It is an annual tradition now,” says Khanna. With her refined taste in interiors and her distinct personal style, and now, well-documented wit in her debut best-selling book, Mrs Funnybones, the couples’ sea-facing home in Juhu is easily one of the best addresses to party in the city during the festive season. Of course, some guests might inadvertently make their way into her next book, anonymously of course, given Khanna is no rabble-rouser.
Kumar, who is stationed in Jaisalmer, shooting for his January 2016 release, Airlift, will be flying back to celebrate Diwali with his family and friends. Being a fitness enthusiast and teetotaller, Kumar is not known to attend many parties, but he does enjoy celebrating Diwali at home every year.
Interestingly, Shilpa Shetty-Kundra and her businessman husband Raj are also hosting their Diwali party on November 9, at their residence, so it seems like there will be a mad scramble between the Kumar and Kundra homes amongst their common guests to attend both parties.
Shobha and Jeetendra Kapoor’s Diwali celebrations are legendary and November 10 is the night they will be hosting family and friends this year. Since the late Raj Kapoor held his Diwali extravaganza on Diwali day, the Kapoors started hosting their’s a day before so that the guests could attend both, instead of having to opt for one over the other. Their guest list comprises television and film power personalities and is a great mix of the old guard in Bollywood such as Rishi and Neetu Kapoor, Rakesh and Pinky Roshan, Randhir Kapoor, Hiroo Johar and the new guard of their daughter Ekta’s friends such as Karan Johar, Sonakshi Sinha and Kangna Ranaut.
If there ever was a blinding sight to behold with the flash of diamonds, rubies and emeralds each year, it has to be at the Kapoor mansion in Juhu, Krishna Bungalow — including the bedazzling lady of the house, Shobha. From the beautiful floral arrangements to the delectable culinary spread, this is one glamorous night for feasting and partying.
“We used to have Diwali parties at our house a long time ago, around 15 years ago I think, but then Jeetu [Jeetendra] started having it at his house, so Pinky and I started going there every year,” says filmmaker Rakesh Roshan. “All our common friends come there, so we all celebrate Diwali together. You see, Jeetu and I are like one – we are always together. So whether Diwali is celebrated at his house or mine, it feels like the same thing”.
Rima Jain, daughter of the late Raj Kapoor reminisces about the parties her late legendary father hosted on the occasion. “My father used to love entertaining friends and family at home on Diwali even though his biggest gamble in life was his films. All the industry veterans would attend his parties every year and it was an open house — anyone could come to his party, some calls were made to guests of course. His parties had the best food with firecrackers and sparklers — not like the ones we have today — it was quite the show, with an in-house photographer shooting pictures all night long. It was a pretty done thing back then to attend the RK Diwali party,” says Rima who will be attending the Kapoor’s, Bachchan’s and Kumar’s parties to name just a few.
The Bachchans’ party is always held on Diwali day, and November 11 is the evening they will be celebrating at their home in Juhu, Jalsa. Aishwarya Rai-Bachchan, is flying back to Mumbai for Diwali from London where she’s been filming for Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil with Ranbir Kapoor. She will probably stay on for her daughter Aaradhya’s fourth birthday on November 16. Like all things Bachchan, their Diwali party is meticulously well orchestrated to ensure that each guest has a fabulous time. Amitabh, Jaya, Aishwarya and Abhishek are extremely warm and gracious hosts all through the night of lights.
Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan, Sonakshi Sinha, Hrithik Roshan, Sachin and Anjali Tendulkar, Farhan Akhtar, Karan Johar, Ronnie and Zarina Screwvala, Ashutosh and Sunita Gowariker are just some of the regular invitees at the Bachchan bash. People from all over India stand outside Jalsa, apart from the usual Sunday crowds, to marvel at the sparkling lights adorning the bungalow during Diwali, hoping to catch a glimpse of any one of the Bachchans.
Though Rishi and Neetu Kapoor do not host Diwali parties themselves, they will be going to a couple of parties this year. “We have been invited to a school friend’s party this year and we will be going to Amitji’s [Amitabh Bachchan] and Jeetendra’s homes also,” says Rishi Kapoor. “My son Ranbir is back home in Mumbai since Thursday night from his filming schedule in London for Karan Johar’s Ae Dil Hai Mushkil, and my daughter Riddhima is in Delhi with her family, but I do not know their programmes for Diwali”.
“Ranbir is back in Mumbai for a month to promote his next film Tamasha that is directed by Imtiaz Ali and he will go back to London at the end of November, but I am happy he is here on Diwali,” says Neetu Kapoor, who attended fashion designer duo, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla’s party on Friday evening in Juhu, and will be going to the Bachchan’s, Kapoor’s and Kumar’s parties.
Aamir Khan’s Diwali celebrations at his home in Bandra last year had Deepika Padukone, Hrithik Roshan, Farhan Akhtar and his sister Zoya, Imtiaz Ali, Kunal and Naina Bachchan-Kapoor and Raj Kumar Hirani and many other Bollywood personalities in attendance. Aamir has been in bulked-up wrestler mode for the larger part of this year, filming for director Nitesh Tiwari’s next year release Dangal, where he plays a wrestler. But he will take time off to celebrate Diwali at home like always.
Shah Rukh will be back in Mumbai after a long spell, shooting Rohit Shetty’s Dilwale in Hyderabad for Diwali and the next schedule of the film in the city. He had flown into Mumbai earlier this month to celebrate his 50th birthday on November 2, with wife Gauri and kids, Aryan, Suhana and AbRam.
But the busiest Khan of them all this year on Diwali is Salman Khan who will be promoting Prem Ratan Dhan Payo when he is not training for four hours a day for YRF’s Sultan with action director Larnell Stovall, who has been flown in from Los Angeles to train him in wrestling and mixed martial arts till the end of November or tracking the collections of his big Diwali release.
Bring on the lights, crackers and mithai; it’s a Happy Diwali indeed.
— Rubina A. Khan is a Mumbai-based journalist and photographer
-1554625842490_16a45057f34_small.jpg)
