HIGH LIFE- High five
Without doubt the first name on my list is Nita Ambani. Businesswoman, philanthropist and mother all rolled into one. When I saw glimpses of her at the IPL games, I couldn’t help but wonder how she manages to pull of so many roles successfully. Steadfastly behind her husband Mukesh Ambani’s success, she can easily wear the title of being the first lady of Mumbai’s society.
The second most influential lady is Aishwarya Rai. Whether it’s Cannes, Hollywood or Bollywood, she has everybody smitten. Besides being one of the hottest names in filmdom she has also taken on the role of the Bachchan bahu with amazing dignity and élan. If insiders are to be believed, then Big B himself takes all Rai’s suggestions seriously even when it comes to his career strategies. Now that’s surely saying a lot!
No less than a fashion icon, Queenie Dhody is a delight to watch. Predictably the best dressed socialite, she always manages to reinvent herself. It is a new look always. From casual jeans to the hautest couture, this package of designer labels, good looks and panache never fails to surprise.
Avantika Birla ‘fits’ right in. And yes the pun on fit is intentional. She has shown the world how to have children and still look wonderful. She is the jet set’s new high priestess. Whether its parties or fashion shows, everybody wants to sit next to her. Yes, she always has prime seats. Top Bollywood and society biwis figure on her party list. Avanti with her individual style and petite looks is a great role model for all you young girls out there wondering what you should look like after you have had all the kids you ever wanted to.
Last but not the least is Preity Zinta. While her Bollywood counterparts are busy breaking marriages, hooking married men and also trying to figure how to give their careers an extension, here is Zinta, who not only impressed Mumbai’s most eligible bachelor, textile heir Ness Wadia, but has also made a place for herself in the sports world, which until now was always considered male territory. The only time starlets made it there was when they were dating sportsmen. Come on cheerleaders, let’s hear it for Preity.
(Simi Chandoke, Editor-in-Chief, Lifestyle and Society, Zoom)