From Shah Rukh Khan, Ranbir Kapoor To Ajay Devgn: A Look At Bollywood's Grand Diwali Gifting Traditions
· Free Press Journal
Long before she became the high-priestess of Notting Hill, West London, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja had already earned for herself a special slot. She was number one for being the actress with the largest heart when it came to gifting. From her debut in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya (2007), this eldest laadli of Anil and Sunita Kapoor started the tradition of sending out the best Diwali gifts to the industry, the media and her personal friends.
Like mother like daughter
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With exquisite taste inherited from her mother Sunita, Sonam’s Diwali gifts were planned at least six months in advance. And, custom-made. Be it the biggest candles with a silver-plated stand to match, a Lakshmi brass lamp (weighing at least a few kilos) or a sturdy marble plate with Ganesh in the centre, the Kapoor-chauffeurs have been literally weighed down by the size of the gifts they have carefully carted. Michael, Anil Kapoor’s driver would often be used for this chore because he knew star-addresses pat! And, I have often seen Sonam’s gifts sitting on the centre table of several actor-homes because they could pass as a piece de resistance.
Anil-Jackie-Amrita had warmth
Before Sonam of course, the best gifts came from her father Anil and his dear colleague, Jackie Shroff. I don’t know whether these 80s stars sent their Diwali tohfas to their colleagues. But yes, their diyas and laddoos did arrive at newspaper offices accompanied only with good intention. Amrita Singh competed with these ‘boys’ with her robust trays packed with festival goodies. In the 1980s, goodwill prevailed because actors hadn’t succumbed to the lure of social media.
Bhansali’s gifts bore a touch of his set-pieces
One year, Bhansali sent out Bajirao Mastani/Padmaavat-era brass lamps and in another year, he sent out something equally ostentatious. Though not as beautifully-curated as his set-pieces, SLB’s Diwali gifts definitely had perception.
SRK combined contemporariness with tradition
Shah Rukh Khan’s gifts usually had practicality and modernity combined. The year he purchased his IPL team, he marked Diwali by sending out temperature-controlled water bottles with the KKR logos, sweets and a lantern added to decorate the hamper.
Kapoor siblings Ektaa-TussharEktaa-Tusshar’s vaastu touch
The Kapoor siblings Ektaa-Tusshar who are both of a religious bent of mind always send out silver articles. Be it a Lakshmi-coin, a pair of elephants or a cow and calf figurine, their gifts ideally adorn the north-east corner of a home.
Rishi-Ranbir’s personalised gift cards
Rishi Kapoor’s hampers had the best mithai with a silver coin. And, the most loving note signed Rishi, Neetu, Riddhima and Ranbir. When Riddhima married, his son-in-law Bharat’s name was thoughtfully added. Ranbir continues the hamper-tradition from Alia, Raha and himself. Of course, the silver-coin is replaced with more practical stuff like diyas, scented oils, cookies and dry-fruits. Like his father, RK Jr too makes it a point to thoughtfully sign each note!
Garam-Dharam’s desi ghee laddoos
Dharmendra was a man of heart. One Diwali he sent out aluminium tin boxes, the kind that is carried to paatshaalas with clarified butter-laden laddoos made in Punjab. Sitting here in Mumbai, one could almost spell the innovativeness of his intention. Not to forget, taste the purity of desi-ghee.
Manmohan Desai always made it silver
Dharam’s Chacha Bhatija (1977), filmmaker, Manmohan Desai (also known as the Midas touch maker) had a tradition of giving out silver Lakshmi-Ganesh coins to those who visited him at his home on Diwali in Kherwadi, Girgaum, Mumbai. The man who made more than a dozen silver jubilee films saw the potential that this metal (silver) has today decades ago.
Devgn’s Diwali hampers are sturdy & classy
Ajay Devgn’s hampers marry tradition, trust and modernity. While candles and dry fruits are a must, the other items in the tray are hallmarked silver items with peacocks/Indian motifs or you-can-never-go-wrong-with-this Lakshmi coins. The trays can always be reused because Ajay doesn’t believe in castaways.
Post Covid-19, B-Town’s ‘heart’ is sizeably-smaller
Post-pandemic, Bollywood’s heart is no longer in gifting. While there are some for whom a Diwali hamper is a sign of their love/continued commitment to friends and media, for others, who have reached a zen-state in their heads, material exchanges have no value.