iPhone 17 launch sees Bollywood stars Navya Naveli Nanda and Armaan Malik meet Apple CEO Tim Cook

Dubai: Navya Naveli Nanda, granddaughter of Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, made headlines this week when she was spotted at Apple’s iconic Cupertino headquarters in California.

Photos and clips from the event — showing her chatting with Apple CEO Tim Cook alongside singer Armaan Malik — went viral within hours.

Her mother, Shweta Bachchan, even jumped into the comments with a playful “What fun!” as fans celebrated the unexpected crossover of Bollywood lineage, pop music, and Silicon Valley.

But while the internet buzzed about her Apple moment, Navya insists her focus lies elsewhere. “I don’t think I’m a celebrity … I was just fortunate to be in the family that I am. Because of them, I have this platform and I want to use it for the right thing,” she told Gulf News in an exclusive Zoom interview.

Owning her privilege

At 26, Navya has chosen a very different path from her brother Agastya, who made his acting debut in Zoya Akhtar’s The Archies. Instead, she has built her identity as a staunch advocate for women’s rights. Through her non-profit initiative Project Naveli, she works to empower women in India through financial independence, legal literacy, and healthcare.

Her idea of empowerment is expansive — and inclusive. “For the longest time, empowerment was seen as being the CEO of a company. But a homemaker is equally strong … She’s raising a whole generation of people who will go on to change the world.”

Breaking silences with What The Hell Navya

Her commitment also finds expression in her video podcast What The Hell Navya, now two seasons strong. Featuring three generations of Bachchan women — Jaya, Shweta, and Navya — the show tackles themes ranging from financial independence to parenting to masculinity, with candid disagreements and surprising moments of consensus.

“We are extremely aware of our privilege,” Navya said. “Some of our conversations may come from our own lived experience, but the larger themes — women’s health, financial independence, gender equality — are universal.”

The second season even welcomed her brother Agastya for an episode on masculinity. “We cannot achieve gender equality without men,” she said firmly. “I’d love to include more male voices if there’s a season three.”

Conscious, not “woke”

Navya is also wary of labels. “I wouldn’t use the word ‘woke.’ I’d say ‘conscious.’ People today are a lot more conscious about certain things — and as three women from the same family, we’re conscious of what’s happening around us. I’m glad our podcast was able to bring those conversations to the fore.”

The viral Apple moment with Tim Cook and Armaan Malik may have spotlighted her celebrity connections, but Navya’s enduring message is far from glamorous photo-ops. She is determined to use her name, her platform, and her privilege to amplify women’s voices — and redefine what power and independence really mean.