In 11 years, the Chhapaak actress’ equation with the khandaan has done a 360-degree turn. And, it’s all for the better
Meena Iyer (DNA; May 17, 2019)

Circa 2008. Deepika Padukone was good friends with Ranbir Kapoor. She often spent time with the Saawariya boy at his residence, Krishna Raj on Pali Hill. Her equation with his parents, Neetu and Rishi Kapoor, at that point was starched (kadak). The seniors were as warm to her as they were to their son’s other pals, who hung out at their bungalow.  However, they definitely maintained a distance.

Fast forward to 2010: Deepika and Ranbir stopped being good friends and the Kapoors also saw little of her. The equation worsened when the former and Sonam K Ahuja took a dig at RK junior on an episode of Koffee With Karan. The seniors were  hurt because DP and Sonam openly slighted their son on national television.

But, time is a great healer.

DP moved into a committed relationship with Ranveer Singh, just like Ranbir moved on with his life and girlfriends. And being the perfect goodwill ambassador that she is, the svelte star took it upon herself to mend all her previous relationships.

During the making of Imtiaz Ali’s Tamasha (2015), Deepika and Ranbir’s relationship evolved; it made way for a mature friendship. As a result, the Kapoors also warmed up to her. Both the seniors were candid about their appreciation for the Bengaluru girl, who was ruling Bollywood.

Last year when Padmaavat released, Rishi was full of praise for the movie. Neetu and he loved Rani Padmavati and Alauddin Khilji in the movie. Besides articulating their feelings to the maker of Padmaavat, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, whose work they applauded the most, the Kapoor couple made it a point to send flowers and a note to Deepika.

The latter shared her note on her social media handle. “Excellent work. So very proud of you... Love Neetu and Rishi Kapoor,” the handwritten note read. The actress also shared a picture of the bouquet and card the star couple had sent. Few knew that the leggy lass’ husband, Ranveer, too, had received a note and bouquet from Rishi and Neetu because he didn’t really go out there to mention it. But the Kapoors had loved him equally in the film and he acknowledged their appreciation to them over a phone call.

That be as it may, earlier this week Deepika, who was in New York for her MET Gala appearance, made it a point to visit Ranbir's parents who are currently residing there. This time, Neetu shared adorable pictures of the three of them — Rishi, Deepika and her — hugging and smiling. She wrote on her Instagram, “Such a fun evening with adorable Deepika Padukone. Gave lot of love and warmth.” A few days later, the Chhapaak actress posted an image of an adorable bracelet, which was gifted to her by Ranbir’s sister Riddhima Kapoor Sahni, who is a jewellery designer. She shared a picture of her wearing the bijouterie, tagging both Neetu as well as Riddhima and wrote ‘Blessings & good wishes...’

Like they say, if you will it, you can make it happen. Kudos to Deepika and, of course, to the Kapoors, too.


(Clockwise from left) The pic that Neetu Kapoor posted after Deepika visited her and Rishi Kapoor in New York; Last year, the Kapoors sent flowers and a note to Deepika after Padmaavat’s release; Deepika flaunts a bracelet that was gifted by Riddhima Kapoor Sahni

Kangana Ranaut reveals she'll flaunt a 'unique saree' designed by Falguni Shane Peacock for her second outing at Cannes Film Festival
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; May 13, 2019)

A gruelling schedule of Panga behind her, Kangana Ranaut is in the mood for a heady dose of cinema, couture and French Riviera. Before she heads to the Cannes Film Festival on May 15, the actor, who is representing Grey Goose at the event, reveals that her clothes will reflect the theme 'Live Victoriously'.

"The clothes I wear will have drama. At the same time, as an Indian actor, I have the responsibility of endorsing our weavers, and wearing outfits that reflect our rich heritage. My stylist Ami Patel and I have been brainstorming for a few weeks. We, along with Falguni and Shane Peacock, are designing a unique saree. The idea is to bring the forgotten weaves to the fore so that the world is more aware of our rich fabrics and culture," says Ranaut.

Easily one of the most fashionable actors in the business, Ranaut says she isn't one to fuss over a red carpet appearance for months. "I was so busy with Panga. I had to gain almost 10 kilos for the film. During trials, I realised I have to lose some weight," she laughs.

Citing the Met Gala's theme of Camp this year, she emphasises that having a unique style of dressing is essential at such international galas. "In 2012, I attended Rakesh Roshan's birthday party sporting a no-eyebrows look. So risqué dressing has never been a deterrent. I was one of the first actresses to wear sarees to the airport. When I was seeing the Met Gala pictures, I thought that in India, the real queen of Camp would be Rekha ji. It's wonderful how Priyanka [Chopra Jonas] and Deepika [Padukone] are making their mark there."

Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; April 14, 2019)

Priyanka Chopra Jonas has added yet another feather to her cap. She is the first Indian to host the prestigious Met Gala this year. She will join her husband Nick Jonas on the Met Gala’s Benefit Committee alongside other celebrities including Katy Perry, Blake Lively, Ryan Reynolds, Bradley Cooper, Jared Leto, Lupita Nyong’o, Jennifer Lopez and Alex Rodriguez among others.

Says a source, “It was a unanimous call to get Nickyanka as hosts for the event because of the way they have been newsmakers in the last two years. The organisers wanted an Indian face to represent the country and who better than PC?”

Over the last two years, the Quantico star has grabbed headlines at the fundraising do. While she let her 10-foot long trench coat do all the talking in 2017, her ‘heavenly’ avatar at last year’s event got her the tag of the ‘Best Dressed Celebrity’.  Incidentally, Priyanka also met Nick for the first time at the fashion event when they made a joint appearance.

An ecstatic Priyanka told us from the US, “I have so many special memories attached to the Met Gala... It’s an honour to be a part of the Benefit Committee for this year’s Gala, alongside Nick. It’ll be a fun night and I’m really looking forward to it.”

SHARING THE STAGE AT THE 10TH ANNUAL WOMEN IN THE WORLD SUMMIT
Priyanka was also part of the 10th Annual Women In The World Summit, where she joined Oprah Winfrey, Stacey Abrams, Anna Wintour and Brie Larson among others talking about shaping opinions, setting agendas and celebrating women on the front edge of social change.

At the 10th Annual Women In The World Summit, Priyanka said, “Feminism is all about choices. Every woman makes individual choices. Allow your brain to have ideas. Think about how you can make those ideas real, because this is the time when we can do it. Never before in the history of mankind have we been able to sit in our homes, have an idea and maybe create into an app and monetise it. You can do anything, anywhere.”

The actress, who has emerged as a global icon, explained, “I played ethnically ambiguous parts, It took me all those parts to be where I am today. I didn’t want to do stereotypical roles because then all you will see is what I already know I can do. I am Indian, I can do that.”

Apart from being an actor-producer, PC is also an activist and ambassador for UNICEF. She said, “Social responsibility is something that we all need to feel. All of us live in this world. Our actions can resonate far beyond what we see. We have a responsibility to care about our society. We come from families where philanthropy is not a choice, it’s just second nature. If we focus on the children of the world, the world becomes a better place. Unfortunately, people like to read about me falling on the red carpet a lot more than anything else that I do, so I take that power and bring the attention to something that the world actually needs to talk about.”