A VERITABLE Indian who’s who, led by Mukesh Ambani’s wife and daughter, Nita Ambani and Isha Ambani, turned the British Museum’s inaugural Pink Ball last Saturday (18) into a magical night to remember.
The ball, which is intended to be a match for the more established Metropolitan Museum of Art’s gala in New York, has been inspired by the British Museum’s exhibition, Ancient India: living traditions, examining the links between Jainism, Hinduism and Buddhism.
The exhibition was put together with the help of the Jain, Hindu and Buddhist communities in the UK. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
The exhibition, which opened on May 22 and concluded on October 19, was put together with the help of the Jain, Hindu and Buddhist communities in the UK.
The exhibition’s curator, Dr Sushma Jansari, said the British Museum has strengthened its links both with India and with the British Indian community.
The exhibition’s curator, Dr Sushma Jansari and Nita Ambani. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
“I really hope in the future it draws more people from the subcontinent and also our diaspora community here in the UK to connect with the museum, to see what other things we can do to collaborate - whether it’s events, projects, more exhibitions,” she told Eastern Eye.
Jansari, who is from Leicester and is the first person of Asian origin to hold the post of curator South Asia in the department of Asia at the British Museum, added: “I hope this highlights the museum as a place where we can do things together.”
Adar Poonawalla and Karishma Choraria. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
Rishi Sunak and Akshata Murty with Sushma Jansari. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
Jansari gave a personal tour of her exhibition to Nita Ambani, whose husband heads Reliance Industries in India and is said to be the country’s richest man with a fortune estimated by Forbes to be worth $101.9bn. She looks after the family’s charitable foundations.
“She enjoyed walking through the show,” said Jansari.
Meanwhile, Isha Ambani, 33, chair of the ball and “the driving force behind the Nita Mukesh Ambani Cultural Centre” in Mumbai, said: “This evening is a celebration of age-old creativity. In India, pink is the colour of warmth, welcome and joy. It evokes a spirit of openness and grace integral to our culture. My hope is that our evening will be a reflection of these values, bringing global communities closer, fostering deep mutual respect and understanding.”
Sir Mick Jagger with Isha Ambani. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
She also had a message in the guide booklet given to all 800 guests: “It’s incredible to see the work being done by the British Museum in preserving and sharing the cultures of the world. With the museum’s inaugural Pink Ball, inspiration has come from the colours, light, and vibrancy of India, whose traditions, artistry, and cultural legacy continue to inspire the world. In today’s times, gatherings like this are more than celebrations – they are opportunities to foster cultural dialogue, build understanding, and create connections.”
Akshata Murthy, Rishi Sunak. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
The museum’s director, Dr Nicholas Cullinan, commented: “The British Museum Ball was intended to celebrate London – a city renowned for its arts, culture, creativity and style. Tonight’s event did just that by bringing together the actors, artists, collectors, creatives, designers and writers that make our city a cultural powerhouse. In doing so, we continued in the footsteps of the many cultural icons who have come to the British Museum over the past 275 years, from Mozart to Karl Marx, Oscar Wilde to Virginia Woolf.”
MIA performs during the event. (Photo credit: James D Kelly)
Jansari was especially pleased to meet Rishi Sunak, the former prime minister who had been the star speaker at the NDTV World Summit in Delhi at 6 pm only the previous day.
“I really wanted to say hello because as the first ever Indian origin prime minister, it was quite a big deal (meeting him),” she said.
Janet Jackson, Naomi Campbell, Isha Ambani, Edward Enninful and Nicholas Cullinan. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murty, wore “a bold striped gown that blended modern glam with a traditional twist, while the maang tikka added an unexpected dash of desi sparkle”.
Joel Mawhinney and Shini Muthukrishnan. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
In a post on Instagram, Murty, a trustee at the V&A, commended the British Museum: “It was an extraordinary celebration of culture that highlighted how vital museums are as guardians of our past, as well as champions of discovery. For both of us, as supporters of the arts and heritage, it was a reminder of why great institutions matter: each artefact, each story, each gallery opens doors to new possibilities. Here’s to museums around the world leading us forward.”
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan and his wife Saadiya Khan. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
Fashion experts noted that “Nita and Isha Ambani’s ensembles were a testament to heritage woven into cloth. Nita dazzled in a handwoven beige-pink sari by Manish Malhotra, its zari and crystal-shard embroidery complemented by heirloom diamond and emerald jewellery. Isha wore a custom Abu Jani/ Sandeep Khosla blush pink satin sari, styled by Anaita Shroff Adajania, and hand-embroidered in pink zardosi, pearls, and crystals by over 35 artisans. Completed with jewellery from her mother’s collection, her look was a beautiful ode to Indian craftsmanship. She paired her outfit with massive emerald jewels from Nita Ambani’s collection.”
Aarti Lohia at the event. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
Among other guests, Anoushka Shankar – she was spotted with the broadcast journalist and TV presenter Anita Rani – played a sitar recital before the speeches. And after dinner, guests danced to songs from the rapper M.I.A.
Devisha Kumari Singh. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
Natasha Poonawalla, a regular at the Met Gala where she affects “look at me” outfits, was dressed more demurely for London. She came with her husband, Adar Poonawalla, CEO of the Serum Institute of India, the world’s biggest vaccine manufacturers.
Kanika Kapoor and Gautam Hathiramani. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
The photographers had a busy time taking pictures of the likes of Aarti Lohia, an art collector whose husband, Amit Lohia, and father-in-law, Sri Prakash Lohia, run the Indorama Corporation.
Saffron Vadher. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
Esha Arora came with husband Robin Arora, who ran B&M Stores with his older brothers, Simon and Bobby.
Robin Arora with Esha Arora. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
There was the fashion designer Saloni Lodhi, whose clothes have been worn by Michelle Obama, the Princess of Wales (during a trip to India in 2016) and Carey Mulligan.
Karishma Choraria, Manish Malhotra. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
The model Saffron Vadher, who has worked for Vogue India and such brands as Estée Lauder and Burberry, was a guest, as was Orhan (“Orry”) Awatramani, “who is famous on social media for …well, being famous”.
Saloni Lodha. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
The actor Ray Panthaki was also a guest, as were Rajiv Nathwani, senior director of marketing for Netflix UK, Ireland & Israel; Suneil Setiya, an Oxford University physicist who started Quadrature Climate Foundation, a charity committed to fighting the climate emergency; Londoner Karishma Ruia (nee Choraria), whose husband Rewant Ruia is a director of the Essar group in India; Devisha Kumari Singh, a “millennial socialite, tastemaker and designer” (according to Harper’s Bazaar); and, representing the wider Asian community, the Canadian-British Imran Amed, founder and editor-in-chief of the website The Business of Fashion.
Imran Amed, Natasha Poonawalla and Nikhil Mansata. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
The British Museum’s trustees include Southall-born Meneesha Kellay, a “curator and cultural leader working across art, architecture, design and performance” and co-curator of the award-winning British Pavilion at the 2023 Venice Architecture Biennale; and Priyanka Wadhawan, director of insights and innovation at Amazon.
Anita Rani and Anoushka Shankar. (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
The ball’s committee includes Imran Amed; Eiesha Bharti Pasricha; Kumar Mangalam Birla; Dr Amin Jaffer; Sonam Kapoor; Suhair Khan; Sabyasachi Mukherjee; Rajiv Nathwani; Rajeeb Samdani; and Nadia Samdani.
Dinner consisted of “spiced lamb fillet, buttermilk masala, slow cooked dhal, pilau & dressed okra”; dessert was “Dulcey Crème Légère, passion fruit cremeux & chocolate Saint Honoré”; accompanied by “Minuty Blanc et Or (Vintage 2024) and Château Minuty Rouge et Or (Vintage 2023)”.
The dinner tables were distributed through such galleries as Enlightenment, Egyptian, Nereid and Nuveen.
Uorfi Javed. (Photo credit: (Photo credit: Dave Benett)
Jansari said: “Do you know what was so nice? It was all served in a hand-painted tiffin.”
