Reality show alum Shalini Passi was recently in Mumbai, a city she has long known but sees differently with every visit. From reality television and her work in the creative space to writing, acting and navigating newfound public attention, Passi’s life has expanded considerably over the last two years. She speaks about Mumbai, the people she has known for years, and how she wants to play herself on screen, if at all she chooses to act.

On what keeps bringing her back to Mumbai, Passi says the city’s biggest appeal is its ability to let people be themselves. “Mumbai doesn’t care and I like that. It is very accepting. It’s a place where your dreams come true if you work hard enough,” she says.

While reality television has put her in front of a wider audience, Passi has briefly explored acting. She has auditioned for a couple of projects and will appear in a small part in a Madhur Bhandarkar film but says she is not interested in playing a character simply for the sake of acting. “I’m not an actor. I don’t want to play some other character. I want to play me,” she shares.

Passi has known Shah Rukh Khan for years and the families have been friends. “I only got to know them when I got engaged. He loves his craft and there’s nobody more obsessive about his cinema than him. He loves reading and he’s a great learner. If you tell him something, the next day, he would have learned everything about that topic. He’s a great friend. Anybody who’s worked with him is just in awe of him,” she says.

Passi, who is 50, opens up about beauty and ageing. She says she experimented with fillers and Botox during the pandemic but did not like the result. “I tried it during the pandemic, but I found my face looking not like myself. I didn’t like the way it looked. Today, everybody looks the same. I want to look like me. I want to look like a better version of myself. I don’t want to look like somebody or like a person in Dubai,” she explains.

Passi has also known Aryan Khan since he was a child and worked with him on The Ba***ds Of Bollywood. She recalls that he made her sing Mitwa for the series, though the portion was eventually cut.

She says, “It was wonderful to see him grow up and now on the sets. He’s absolutely obsessive about his work and you know that the way he’s written the show. The show is so him — his kind of humour and the twist. Nobody could have thought of it. He is extremely intelligent. He never wanted to be in front of the camera, but I thought that would change. But even now he doesn’t want to be in front of the camera. Now I’ve asked him for a bigger role in the second season of The Ba***ds Of Bollywood.”

Most will agree that there was only one take-away from Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives — that Shalini Passi is thoroughly entertaining on screen. Since the third season premièred on Netflix, Passi has received widespread attention, be it for her fashion choices, her art collection, or her life mantras. Now, she is making her big-screen debut with Madhur Bhandarkar’s The Wives.

What made her take up the extended cameo? The chance to work with the National Award-winning filmmaker, said Passi. “I have admired Madhur Bhandarkar ji’s films over the years. His stories are iconic. We also have several friends in common, so I had met him socially before. When the role was offered to me, I felt it would be a great experience,” she told mid-day.

Starring Sonali Kulkarni, Mouni Roy, and Regena Cassandrra, The Wives delves into the glamorous yet tumultuous lives of star wives. In a way, the film almost echoes the reality show. Passi reflected, “Art is always a depiction of life. Like all his other films, there are elements inspired by reality. How much of it relates to the web show or life, only time will tell.”

For now, the socialite-turned-OTT star is thrilled to transition from the web to the big screen. Passi confessed she realised the scale of her debut only when she reached the set. “I didn’t realise it was going to be a theatrical release. Now that it is, I’m excited to see myself, but even more eager to see the film as a whole. On set, everything was taken care of, and I was so happy with my vanity van — it felt like a little cocoon in the studio. Mouni Roy looks fabulous and is a wonderful human being. I also met Sonali Kulkarni for the first time.”

Industrialist Sunjay Kapur, 53, who was also actor Karisma Kapoor’s ex-husband, died in the UK on Thursday night. He reportedly suffered a heart attack while playing polo after swallowing a bee during the game.

Following the news, Karisma’s family and friends rallied around her, including sister Kareena Kapoor Khan and brother-in-law Saif Ali Khan. Actor Vivek Anand Oberoi wrote on X: “It’s truly heartbreaking to hear about the untimely passing of Sunjay Kapur. Such a profound loss for everyone who knew him.”

Reality TV star Shalini Passi told HT: “The news of Sunjay’s death is sad and shocking. It makes us realize the frivolity of our life and everything that we take so seriously.”

Just hours before his death, Sunjay wrote about the plane crash on X: “Terrible news of the tragic Air India crash in Ahmedabad. My thoughts and prayers are with all the families affected. May they find strength in this difficult hour (sic).”

After his death, a post he shared on X on June 9 went viral (see inset on top). Sunjay and Karisma got married in 2003, and got divorced in 2016. They had two kids together — daughter Samaira Kapoor, 20, and son Kiaan, 14.

While Sunjay was co-parenting Samaira and Kiaan with Karisma, he was also father to Azarias, his seven-year-old son with wife Priya Sachdev. He hired a parenting coach to navigate his blended family and to adhere to the responsibilities of fatherhood in a better manner.

As per Forbes, Sunjay’s net worth at the time of his death was $1.2 billion (Rs. 10,300 crore). As of a few months ago, his publicly listed company was valued at Rs. 40,000 crore. They manufacture automobile parts for seven out of the top 10 car companies in the world.

New Delhi: Socialite Shalini Passi, wife of businessman Sanjay Passi, has been summoned by the Meerut unit of Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) for questioning on Thursday in a case of alleged Goods and Services Tax evasion.

According to sources, the matter pertains to alleged short payment of GST by Pasco Motors LLP of which she was a partner. Shalini Passi shot to fame after starring in the ‘Fablous Lives Vs Bollywood Wives’ on Netflix.

Pasco Motors LLP is an authorised dealer of Tata Motors and is in the business of sale of heavy motor vehicles, both chassis and fully built buses and trucks. The tax intelligence department had earlier served summons to Sanjay Passi and other executives of Pasco Motors but they are yet to join the investigation.

J K Mittal, lawyer of Sanjay Passi, has denied any tax evasion and told TOI that the allegations are false. “GST summons issued by the DGGI is malafide and the information of tax evasion is not mentioned in the said summon at all,” he said, adding that the matter has already been challenged in the Punjab and Haryana HC and is presently sub judice. Mittal also confirmed that Shalini Passi was a partner in Pasco Motors LLP and DGGI was making an inquiry into alleged “short payment of GST” as mentioned in the summons.

Sources said while supplying fully built-up buses and trucks, Pasco Motors issues a single invoice but splits the total value into two components: the value of the chassis, which is charged at a GST rate of 28%, and the value of body fabrication, which is charged at a GST rate of 18%.

“As per the law, if a bus body builder constructs and supplies a fully built-up bus, the entire supply should be taxed at flat 28% GST. Therefore, Pasco Motors LLP is evading GST by charging different GST rates for the chassis and body fabrications in a single invoice,” a source said.

GST Intelligence has asked the company to clarify the differential rate of GST billed to customers and provide supporting documents. After queries remained unanswered, the agency sent summons to the company and its partners to record statements and ensure compliance. Generally, summonses are issued after non-compliance and non-cooperation by the other party.

Being an art collector, fashion patron and philanthropist, Shalini Passi was always used to packed travel itineraries and social calendar blocked for months, but this year, for the first time, she had a new task at hand – managing a fandom obsessed with her diet, skincare routine, wardrobe and her collection of bags. Shalini, a popular name in Delhi’s social circle for years, emerged as the most popular name from the show Fabulous Lives Vs Bollywood Wives. Be it her sassy persona, fashion choices or just details about her life, everything about Shalini became a hit on social media in 2024.

Ask Shalini about how her life has changed in the past few months and she says, “There is always a certain kind of fame attached when you come on a huge OTT platform, what I did not anticipate was the love that I am getting from all corners of the world. And not just love, people are also saying how they have been inspired by me, especially young people. That has inspired me to work harder. All these messages and pictures from around the world have been wind beneath my wings. I’m really grateful for the love that I’ve received from all over the world. After the release of the series, I had planned to go on a vacation and travel in the country. I had to drop that plan to have all the media interactions and interviews. It’s been slightly more hectic than my usual pace, but I’m thoroughly enjoying it.”

‘There have been incidents when people saw me, screamed my name and came running for pictures’

She adds that it isn’t just on social media where fans have been following every detail about her, she has had some fun encounters with fans in real life too.

She says, “I have had some very interesting encounters in hotels, which have been real-life experiences with fans. For instance, there have been moments when fans started screaming and running towards me in the hotel lobby while I was shooting. I also had fans when I went for Bigg Boss; there were a lot of fans outside Filmistan theatre, even at Mehboob Studios crowd started gathering outside to take pictures. One of my favourite moments was at Sophia College where I had so many women fans, that was amazing. I had some fun incidents in Chennai too when people came up to me to take pictures and, share their stories.”

Addressing the Passi memes, she says, “I love it when people spend so much of their time on memes and get so creative with them”

Shalini adds that as her beauty regime, diet plans have now become a social media content. She has also read some bizarre things about herself online. “Some odd, bizarre things I read about myself include claims that I’ve had a hair transplant. And yeah, that was very funny because everybody in my family and my friends know that I’ve had long hair for the longest time. I’ve shaved my hair in Tirupati four times, and it always grows back. The texture of my hair is the same as it has always been like that, it is not what people claim it to be. I’m just blessed to have good hair,” she says.

From her old wedding pictures to details about her husband Sanjay Passi’s business, almost everything about Shalini Passi is now on social media, but she says that she never considered this to be intrusive. 

“My old pictures already existed on social media, people just went further and searched them. I feel that a lot of people think it’s an invasion of privacy, but I feel that I’m getting so much love, and I have nothing to hide. If they want to know my age, how many children I have, I think it’s fair enough. I feel that I got onto this platform so that I could be a voice for the people, especially for north India. But I came out as somebody who people were able to relate to. I came out as somebody whose different aspects of personality resonated with various people of different generations. I especially love it when little girls have ‘Sassy-Passi Parties’ and wear hair bands and clips. I think there’s a whole generation of Shalinians who are going to follow what I have done for a long time,” she says.

Shalini Passi’s 13-year-old pet dog Boston is no less than a star now that he has also been part of the show. “He is as popular as I am. He was also a part of the show and now he has got a fan following of his own,” shares Shalini with a big smile as she fixes a scarf in the same print as her dress around Boston’s neck. “He has also become very smart now when it comes to shooting. He knows how to pose and will look straight into the camera once he notices them around,” she adds.

Delhi-based socialite and art connoisseur Shalini Passi is set to enter the Bigg Boss 18 house. Known for her distinctive flair and unique fashion sense, Shalini rose to fame with her appearance in Fabulous Lives vs Bollywood Wives. The series also features Bhavana Pandey, Maheep Kapoor, Seema Sajdeh, Neelam Kothari Soni, Kalyani Chawla, and Riddhima Kapoor. It has also witnessed appearances by Shah Rukh Khan, Gauri Khan, Malaika Arora, Karan Johar, Ananya Panday, Janhvi Kapoor, Sidharth Malhotra, Suzanne Khan, Farah Khan, Ranbir Kapoor, and Saif Ali Khan.

A source from the show reveals, “Shalini has a magnetic presence and commands attention wherever she goes. Her entry is sure to bring a mix of glamour, intrigue, and unpredictability to the house, shaking up the existing dynamics and intensifying the ongoing drama.”

The current season has been rife with twists and turns. Last week, wildcard contestant Aditi Mistry faced eviction. So far, the makers have introduced five wildcards — Kashish Kapoor, Digvijay Singh Rathee, Edin Rose, Yamini Malhotra, and Aditi. The weekend episode saw Salman Khan question Shilpa Shirodkar about her priorities and her relationship with Karan Veer Mehra. During a task, Shilpa chose Eisha Singh as the new Time God over Edin Rose, shocking many. The task involved Eisha and Edin being carried by Avinash Mishra and Karan Veer, respectively. Shilpa’s repeated decisions favouring Karan’s competitors have sparked conversations both inside and outside the house, with many questioning her loyalty. Adding to the controversy, Shilpa also nominated Karan a few weeks ago, leaving everyone surprised.

The current line-up of contestants includes Vivian Dsena, Karan Veer Mehra, Avinash Mishra, Eisha Singh, Shilpa Shirodkar, Rajat Dalal, Digvijay Singh Rathee, Shutika Arjun, Chum Darang, Tajinder Bagga, Yamini Malhotra, Edin Rose, Sara Arfeen Khan, and Kashish Kapoor. With Shalini’s entry, the dynamics are set to change, and only time will reveal the impact of her presence in the house.

“A perfect guest list, an interesting mix of people and food make for a great party,” says Shalini Passi, art collector, fashion patron and philanthropist, who’s known to host some of the best parties in the city. “I don’t play cards so I don’t host card parties, I just host Diwali parties where people are dancing and having fun,” she adds. The sit-down traditional dinner has always been the highlight at Shalini’s party. Shalini shares with us more about planning a perfect party at her place and how she ensures that every small detail is taken care of.

It is food and music that make Delhi Diwali parties different from other cities like Mumbai, she says. “In Delhi, we give a lot of importance to entertainment at the parties, it’s not just about having a DJ. Delhi culture is all about celebrating in a grand way and we love that. As a rule now, after 10.30-11pm I just have fun at my parties. I am a perfect host till 7.30-10.30pm, but after that I start dancing and I love it. When you are relaxed and having fun then even guests have fun. My friends tell me that they love coming to my home as they meet some very interesting people. I am happy that I am able to connect so many people,” she says.

Shalini says, “On Diwali, we serve traditional food and it is mostly home cooked. I always serve guests what I like, I never assume what they will like. It’s best to include things you like in the menu as you know about them. People are very conscious about eating heavy food but they still want delicious food. We always have a lot of healthy dishes on the menu, and in desserts we have fruits and sugar free options. You will see all my favourites on the thaali, imarti has to be there as it is my favourite. Other dishes are dal makhni, bhindi fry, shahi paneer, khatta baigan, which is a Hyderabadi recipe. We make sure that food is not too spicy or heavy and yet it is delicious. I usually send a save the date notification to my guests very much in advance as everyone has multiple engagements, especially around Diwali. The caterer has to be booked if I am not going for home cooked food. We mostly do thaali dinner on Diwali as we all love to celebrate the festival traditionally.”

She adds that she makes sure to serve dinner by 9 pm at her parties. “I used to go to so many parties and no one would serve food before 11 pm. Who eats at 11 pm! No one wants to eat this late. I always serve dinner by 9 pm and guests expect that from me now. People don’t serve dinner on time because they think that the party will break and guests will start leaving. But I think if you have called someone to your house, you have to serve them dinner, if they want to stay or not is up to them. They can party after having dinner also. I am also very particular about timing so now all my friends know that they have to come on time and I may not invite them next time if they don’t come on time. My parties start around 7:30-8 pm,” she adds.

She added, “The dinner table mats feature silver with gold plating. The gold embroidery on the table napkins, the engraved pattern on silver thaalis are my designs. I got them customized. All cutlery is from Christofle. I always include real, seasonal flowers in the decor and marigold has to be there as for me it represents tradition and adds an Indian touch. I like bright colours. We use a lot of yellow flowers and mix it with purple and violet.”

Diwali parties have been a tradition at Shalini’s place since they moved into this house in 2011. Talking about one of her most popular Diwali parties, she says, “it has to be when we had fashion designer Roberto Cavalli.”

She recalls, “Around Diwali, we hosted him for dinner and had around 150 guests. It was a thaali dinner which we served the guests in two rounds, and everything was prepared at home. He loved being here, his team told me that he would be here for two hours, but he was the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. He loved being at home and meeting all my friends.”

Through initiatives like the MASH Ball, Shalini Passi has harnessed collective energy to support programs like Art-Based Therapy and Early Childhood Development, empowering children to overcome challenges and realise their full potential. Shalini Passi's commitment to philanthropy shines through in her generous donation of 100% of the proceeds from the MASH Ball to UNICEF. 

Additionally, the entire proceedings from Shalini Passi's television debut in Fabulous Lives Vs Bollywood Wives was donated to UNICEF India to further their joint mission of enhancing childcare missions in Purnea, Bihar. “The response to the show has been tremendous. There was a buzz that the show will do well, but the way people are showing me love and appreciation is something I never imagined. I am so eccentric and I am just doing my own thing,” she said.

Ramona Narang, Shalini Passi, Roberto Cavalli and Queenie at a party held at Shalini’s house

Her family is made up of superstars, from her late father Rishi Kapoor, to mother Neetu Kapoor and brother Ranbir. But Riddhima Kapoor Sahni was always certain about not foraying into showbiz, instead establishing herself as a fashion designer and among the top jewellery designers. Now, Bollywood has come calling. We hear Sahni will star in a prominent role in the third season of Karan Johar’s reality web series, The Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives. The Netflix series gives us a peek into B-Town’s inner circle as Neelam Kothari, Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Pandey and Seema Sajdeh juggle careers, crises, family and friendships.

While the opening season was a binge-fest, thanks to the protagonists’ colourful personalities, the second edition received a lukewarm response due to its bland storytelling. Insiders say that producer Johar took note of the criticism, and decided to feature three powerful women entrepreneurs in the upcoming instalment. Enter Delhi’s glitterati Sahni, Kalyani Saha Chawla and Shalini Passi. 

A source says, “Fabulous Lives is travelling from Mumbai to Delhi. The creative team realised that they needed to introduce new faces into the mix. All three are well-known celebrities based in Delhi, but connected to Bollywood in one way or the other. Shalini Passi is an art and design collector, art advisor and the creative director of Pasco group of companies. She is a long-time friend of Shah Rukh and Gauri Khan. Kalyani Saha Chawla is the founder and chief executive of a silver luxury home decor brand and consultant for an international luxury label. The three women are Karan’s good friends and were happy to feature in his show. The story will move forward as Maheep, Bhavna, Seema and Neelam meet the trio in Delhi.”

Sahni isn’t the only addition we’re excited about. The source adds, “Neetu-ji will make a friendly appearance. The series will offer a glimpse of her deep bond with daughter Riddhima.”

Last week, the team kicked off filming in the capital. After a few days of shooting, they will return to Mumbai, where the second schedule will commence from the first week of November. This time too, the four protagonists will travel to different locations in India and overseas, before calling it a wrap by December.

The cast shot with entrepreneur Kalyani Saha (left) in Delhi yesterday