Mukesh Ambani, chairperson of Reliance Industries and India’s richest man, is known for leading an extraordinarily lavish lifestyle alongside his family. Their residence, Antilia, situated in Mumbai, is widely regarded as one of the most expensive private homes in the world.
The 27-storey building features six floors dedicated solely to parking for the family’s extensive collection of luxury vehicles. It also includes multiple helipads, private cinemas, and expansive living areas — all customised to reflect the Ambani family’s penchant for exclusivity and grandeur.
Mukesh Ambani shares the residence with his wife, Nita Ambani, and their children Isha, Akash and Anant, along with their spouses. Their lifestyle is marked by high-end fashion, designer jewellery, and frequent international travel.
According to multiple media sources, including Asianet Hindi, the Ambani family is believed to spend several million pounds each month to maintain their standard of living. This includes costs associated with luxury shopping, travel, and maintaining an extensive household staff.
Nita Ambani is frequently seen wearing rare and valuable jewellery, often featuring diamonds and precious gemstones. Mukesh Ambani has reportedly gifted her a private jet, complete with bespoke interiors and premium amenities, to support her busy schedule. Jewellery given to their children and daughters-in-law has been valued by some reports at over £40 million.
A significant portion of their monthly expenditure is thought to go towards staff salaries. Antilia is said to be staffed by over 600 people, including chefs, drivers, housekeepers, and security personnel — many of whom are specially trained. Reports suggest individual salaries range between ₹150,000 to ₹200,000 per month, which converts to around £1,400 to £1,900. Based on this, the estimated total wage bill could be around £1.1 million per month.
The family is also known for hosting extravagant parties and wedding celebrations at Antilia, with the cost of such events frequently running into several millions. These occasions often feature celebrity performances, international cuisine, and elaborate decor, although exact figures are rarely confirmed.
Spending on luxury goods and fashion is another major area of reported outlay. Asianet Hindi estimates monthly expenses for high-end brands and jewellery to be in the range of £300,000 to £500,000. Meanwhile, travel — including business trips, private international holidays, and social engagements — could contribute an additional £500,000 to £1 million each month, although these figures remain speculative.
Each member of the Ambani family plays an active role in Reliance Industries or its subsidiaries, leading to regular overseas travel and public appearances at global conferences and social events. These commitments contribute further to the family’s overall expenditure.
While there is no official or confirmed breakdown of the Ambani family’s regular spending, most media reports suggest it totals several million pounds monthly, factoring in household operations, luxury items, travel, and social functions. These estimates, however, remain unofficial as the family has not publicly disclosed their personal financial details.
Sofía Vergara, known for her role in Modern Family and more recently in Griselda, has sparked fresh debate around money and relationships after stating she would only date someone who earns as much as, or more than, she does. Her remarks, made during a recent appearance on the Today show, have drawn attention not only for their frankness but for the broader conversation they prompt about income disparity and relationship dynamics.
Vergara, 52, shared her thoughts while discussing her dating preferences with hosts Jenna Bush Hager and Erin Andrews on the 14 May episode. When asked about what she looks for in a partner, the actress responded: “I want to say the basic stuff, like health and somebody that loves me, and somebody tall, handsome.” She added, “I want somebody that has as much money as me or more, because if not, it's a nightmare. They end up resenting you.”
Her comments, while light-hearted in delivery, touched on a complex issue many couples navigate: how financial imbalance affects emotional and relational health.
The psychology behind income differences in relationships
While public reactions to Vergara’s comment have been mixed, therapists and psychologists agree that income disparity can have real effects on romantic partnerships. Lami Ronit, a wealth psychologist with practices in California and London, told Business Insider that the challenges associated with financial imbalance often run deeper than people realise, particularly when gender expectations are involved.
“Women who are the higher earners often face a double standard,” said Ronit. “They’re expected to succeed, but not so much that it threatens traditional gender roles.” Meanwhile, men are generally socialised to be comfortable in the role of financial provider, and when that role is reversed, both partners may feel unsettled.
This dynamic, Ronit explained, can lead to a range of issues — from subtle tensions to outright resentment. Women may feel pressured to downplay their financial success, while men may experience feelings of inadequacy or diminished identity.
Matt Lundquist, founder and clinical director of Tribeca Therapy in New York, noted that wealth doesn’t necessarily eliminate these struggles. “It becomes a space where individuals’ histories with money and gender expectations play out,” he said. Even in progressive relationships where traditional roles are less rigid, these dynamics can surface unexpectedly.
Dana McNeil, a relationship therapist and founder of The Relationship Place in San Diego, explained that conflicts often arise when the higher-earning partner feels entitled to make financial decisions. “Many wealthy partners may perceive they are entitled to exert more control in the relationship about how money is spent,” she said. “This can create a parent–child dynamic that leads to a loss of autonomy for the financially dependent partner.”
Such imbalances can eventually erode trust and intimacy, even in otherwise healthy relationships.
- YouTubeYouTube/ The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon store
Managing financial differences fairly
Experts say that clear communication and fairness are key to managing income disparities in relationships. Ronit recommends proportional contributions rather than strictly equal ones when it comes to shared finances. “Each person could contribute a percentage of their income toward common expenses,” she said. This approach acknowledges financial disparity without assigning greater or lesser value to either partner’s role.
McNeil advises couples to keep finances transparent by setting up three bank accounts — one for each individual and one joint account for shared expenses such as rent, groceries or leisure activities. “This setup maintains financial independence while encouraging collaboration,” she said.
Importantly, conversations about money should happen early in a relationship. Lundquist stressed that money forms a significant part of any partnership and should be addressed as such. “At some point, all couples need to confront the reality that a significant part of the partnership is economic and address both the material and symbolic aspects of this,” he said.
He also acknowledged that Vergara’s comments reflect clarity about her own needs and boundaries. “She clearly knows what she wants, and that in itself is a sign of emotional intelligence,” he added.
A broader reflection
While some may dismiss Vergara’s remarks as celebrity talk, they bring to light important questions about fairness, identity, and power within relationships. Financial imbalance is not just a logistical challenge but a relational one that can shape how partners perceive each other and themselves.
The increasing openness with which public figures discuss these topics could help normalise honest conversations around money, a subject many still find difficult to navigate. Whether it’s about shared bank accounts, financial autonomy, or expectations tied to gender and earnings, the core message from therapists remains the same: communication and mutual respect are essential for long-term relationship success.
A new digital upgrade to the NHS app is set to ease the burden on pharmacies across England, with the introduction of a real-time prescription tracking feature for patients. The update allows users to follow the progress of their medication in a manner similar to online retail platforms, reducing the need for phone calls and in-person enquiries about prescription status.
According to NHS England, nearly half of all calls to community pharmacies are related to prescription updates. The new system is intended to alleviate this administrative workload, enabling pharmacy staff to focus more on direct patient care.
The prescription tracking feature has already been rolled out to nearly 1,500 pharmacies, including major high street chains such as Boots. Plans are in place to expand the service to almost 5,000 pharmacies nationwide over the next year.
Dr Vin Diwakar, NHS England’s clinical transformation director, said the feature gives patients greater autonomy in managing their care. “You will now get a near real-time update in the app that lets you know when your medicine is ready so you can avoid unnecessary trips or leaving it until the last minute to collect,” he explained. “The new Amazon-style feature will also help to tackle the administrative burden on pharmacists, so they can spend more of their time providing health services and advice to patients.”
Health Secretary Wes Streeting welcomed the development, emphasising the importance of applying digital innovation to everyday healthcare services. “If patients can track the journey of their food shop, they should be able to do the same with their prescriptions,” he said. “By harnessing the power and efficiency of modern tech, we're saving patients time, driving productivity and freeing up hardworking pharmacists to do what they do best – helping patients, not providing status updates.”
Boots, which is participating in the rollout, says the new functionality will significantly improve customer service. Anne Higgins, pharmacy director at Boots, said: “For the first time, when a patient orders their prescription via the NHS app and they’ve nominated a Boots pharmacy to dispense it, they can view its journey at every key step of the process. This will remove the need for patients to call our pharmacy team for updates on their prescription so they can spend more time with patients and deliver vital services like NHS Pharmacy First.”
The prescription tracking tool is integrated into the existing NHS app, which already allows patients to order repeat prescriptions, access their health records, book appointments, and use a barcode to collect medication. NHS data shows that the app now has 37.4 million registered users, with around 11.4 million using it monthly. Between April 2024 and April 2025, the number of repeat prescriptions ordered through the app rose by 40 per cent, reaching 5.5 million.
The update is being viewed as a major advancement in digital healthcare. Olivier Picard, chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, described it as a “game-changer”. He noted that the absence of such features had contributed to relatively low patient engagement with the NHS app in the past. “Pharmacies want to do all they can to embrace new technology and make the vital services they offer as easy and convenient as possible for patients to access,” Picard said.
He also highlighted the importance of ensuring that independent community pharmacies, which make up the majority of outlets across England, are included in the rollout. “It’s important that this new prescription tracking feature is quickly made available to all independent community pharmacies,” he said. “This will help maximise the benefit of the service for patients across the country.”
With growing pressure on both GPs and pharmacies, the NHS sees technology as a vital tool in streamlining operations and improving patient satisfaction. The prescription tracking system, while relatively simple, is expected to play a key role in modernising day-to-day healthcare interactions.
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Hemant Patel at the launch of his book during the Sigma Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, last Monday (12)
WHEN Hemant Patel was struck down by Covid, he became determined to understand why the virus had such a devastating effect on people who appeared healthy.
That quest led to The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Guide, a book exploring the role of inflammation in chronic illness.
“I was gasping for breath and counting the days I might have left when I was infected with Covid,” said Patel.
“I was watching TV and saw two stories – one about a 70-year-old man returning home from hospital, and the other about a 40-year-old marathon runner who had died. My brain could not comprehend that. I would have expected different outcomes – as I’m sure most people would.”
Patel was the secretary of North East London’s Local Pharmaceutical Committee for 26 years and also served four terms as president of the then Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (RPSGB).
He worked to improve the health of patients, helping contractors develop new clinical services, including smoking cessation, sexual health, mental health support and the use of electrocardiogram devices within community pharmacy.
He used his vast knowledge and experience to look into the impact of Covid and discovered the impact of inflammation on a person’s health and well-being.
Chronic inflammation is linked to more than 50 per cent of all deaths worldwide and one in five cancers.
“I started investigating and I realised in the West, particularly, we are confused between physical fitness and resilience,” he said.
“What I learned from my extensive research is that you can be physically fit but immunologically not resilient. Then I said, ‘what do we need to do to become resilient? And the outcome is the book.”
Chronic inflammation contributes to high cholesterol, high blood pressure and diabetes, which are all linked to coronary heart disease (CHD).
While heart disease is the UK’s single biggest killer and it can affect anyone, south Asians are approximately 50 per cent more likely to die prematurely from CHD than the general population
“With the south Asian culture, we need to break habits, but also we need to reinforce some good ones,” said Patel.
“Spices are very good, particularly turmeric, which should be combined with black pepper because it contains a substance called piperine that is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatories you can take. Things like ginger and garlic are really good.
“But things like potatoes and meat need to be avoided and replaced with more green vegetables – the more different colours of food, the better.”
The book received an overwhelmingly positive response from members of the pharmacy sector when it was launched at the Sigma Conference in Baku, Azerbaijan last Monday (12).
Patel said the book will be a useful resource for first-line healthcare providers such as community pharmacists and GPs advising their patients on healthier lives.
“The secretary of state (Wes Streeting) has said the government will be investing in prevention rather than treatment, because, at present, more and more hospitals are being required
Pharmacists and GPs can be a force within the community to help patients change their lifestyles.”
Patel’s determination to write the book led him to qualify as a certified health coach after completing a course in integrative nutrition and functional medicine.
“The common link for vast number of long-term conditions is inflammation,” he said.
“If you look at the prevalence of conditions such as obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and mental illness – they have all increased since the Second World War, due to changes in our environment, food, water, the air we breathe, and the products we spray on ourselves. All of this leads to toxicity and a slow, prolonged immunological response.
The Complete Anti-Inflammatory Guide
“If you look at carrots, for example, it is estimated they contain only 40 per cent of the nutrients they had 60 years ago, because the soil has been depleted. That affects the food, and the food, in turn, affects our bodies. When people say, ‘eat healthily’, no one actually knows what is going on inside their body.”
There are 12 steps in the book that can be used to combat chronic inflammation and regain “internal balance”.
Patel gives evidence-based advice on ways to reduce inflammation, such as going for a walk in the park, meditation, getting regular sleep, switching to organic foods, eating more vegetables, reducing meat – particularly red meat – drinking filtered water.
He describes alcohol as “poison – we use it to clean our skin when we fall down and hurt ourselves”.
Two scientifically proven ways to reverse chronic inflammation are exercise and intermittent fasting – both of which Patel has personally benefited from.
“When you fast, instead of using energy to digest food, the body switches to clearing out internal waste – it removes dead cells and recycles them. More importantly, new cells are produced during fasting through a process called autophagy.”
Autophagy is a natural process by which a cell breaks down old, damaged, unnecessary, or dysfunctional components within a cell and then repurposes those components for fuel and to build or maintain cells. It also destroys diseasecausing pathogens, like bacteria and viruses, that can harm cells and has been linked in playing a role in preventing and fighting diseases like Parkinson’s disease and Crohn’s disease.
As for exercise, Patel explains you don’t have to run a marathon to see benefits.
“When we use our muscles, the body releases a substance called myokines which is anti-inflammatory,” he said.
Patel has carried out research into ancient cultures who he believes had a more holistic approach to health.
“The book looks at areas such as Chinese and Ayurvedic culture – we have a lot to learn from them,” he said.
“It is a pity we have moved away from that approach, because they focus on the whole body. In the West, we treat each organ separately – you have a cardiologist, a rheumatologist, a kidney specialist – whereas in Ayurveda, the body is treated as a whole, and that is where inflammation comes in.
Inflammation does not affect just one area. If you have a dodgy knee, the symptoms may appear there, but inflammation is likely present elsewhere in the body too.”
Patel reveals he has seen first-hand the result diet and exercise has had on his own father’s life.
“My father and uncle were twins, but they led very different lifestyles. My father did not drink alcohol, followed a vegetarian diet, and began each day with yoga. He is 94 years old and can still touch the back of his head with his toes,” said Patel.
“My uncle, on the other hand, put on a lot of weight. He ate nastas (wholesome breakfasts) and salty foods. When you compare their health outcomes, my father is healthy and alive, while my uncle died a year ago after being seriously ill for two years.
Investing in your health does two things – it extends your life and improves its quality in later years.”
As for Patel’s own health, at 71, he feels in the best shape he has for decades after implementing the strategies he has shared in the book.
“I had long Covid and I was in a bad state,” he said.
“When I got up in the morning, it was like I had drank a bottle of whiskey the night before. I was rested, but my head wasn’t clear. By lunchtime, I was fatigued and wanting to go to sleep. I was in so much pain constantly.
“Now my head is clear. My pain has eased up a lot. I’m sleeping much better and probably a better person to be around than before because I was just so irritable. Every single day, using my dad as an inspiration, I’m going to keep going.”
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A study suggests NHS screening guidelines may need revising
DOCTORS should listen to patients and take their feelings into consideration, a cancer survivor has said, as a new study revealed differences in outcomes for ethnic and Caucasian groups.
Breast cancer survivor and patient advocate Balwinder Nanray told Eastern Eye that a patient’s needs should be at the centre of all decisions – as “there’s no one-size-fits-all approach”.
She was responding to a study published on Tuesday (20) by Queen Mary University of London, which found that south Asian women are diagnosed with breast cancer earlier and die younger than women of European heritage.
“Doctors are the experts in their field, and not all patients are from scientific backgrounds. So, why you are having treatment should be explained fully. Because it’s about us. It’s not about somebody else. It’s your body. You’re a person, and you should be able to make those decisions,” said Nanray, who was diagnosed with the disease in 2015, when she was 52.
She added, “My medical team has been amazing, but at times it was difficult to build a trusting relationship with some of my physicians. There were moments when I felt like I was being treated as a number rather than a person.
“With cancer, one size does not fit all, and it’s important that we’re all treated as individuals. Beyond your cancer diagnosis, you are a person, and I think people can forget that.
“Co-producing and collaborating with patients in research can lead to more effective and sustainable solutions that better meet patients’ needs.”
According to Nanray, the needs of Asian patients are different from their white counterparts, and reactions to treatments also vary. Cultural background factors also need to be taken into account for patients, she said.
Balwinder Nanray
“From personal experience, I can say my surgeon was of Asian background, and he was wonderful. He understood every need that I had. However, my oncologist was white, and that may have played a part in the decisions. He was amazing and knew what he was doing, but I think he lacked social skills.”
Nanray, who lives with her husband and son in Essex, was diagnosed with breast cancer following a mammogram organised through her workplace.
“I had no symptoms and no lumps. I was a senior leader in financial services, but breast cancer had other ideas. I underwent surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, and I am currently on hormone therapy to help reduce the risk of the cancer returning. This year marks nearly 10 years since my diagnosis, and I’m very grateful for that,” she said.
Nanray is now engaged as a patient advocate for several cancer charities, including Breast Cancer Now.
The Queen Mary University study said addressing existing racial disparities in breast cancer is crucial to ensure equitable benefit across diverse communities.
Breast cancer remains the most common cancer worldwide, claiming the lives of approximately 11,500 women annually in the UK.
South Asian and black women face poorer survival rates compared to their white counterparts, with three-year survival rates at 89 per cent and 85 per cent respectively, versus 91 per cent for white women.
These patients often receive diagnoses at later stages, when the disease is more difficult to treat.
Precision oncology offers individually tailored treatments, moving away from standardised approaches. However, ethnic minority patients remain underrepresented in clinical trials, limiting the effectiveness of these advances for diverse populations, the study said.
Researchers examined clinical and genetic data from 7,000 women with breast cancer. Health experts stressed the importance of addressing these gaps to ensure equal access to quality care for all patients, regardless of ethnic background.
Professor of bioinformatics at Queen Mary’s Barts Cancer Institute, Claude Chelala, told Eastern Eye, “Our paper highlights the need to address longstanding underrepresentation of patients from ethnic minority groups in cancer research and the disparities this creates.
“Recruiting participants from diverse backgrounds can be challenging for a number of reasons, including cultural and language barriers, and a lack of trust or awareness of research.
“Practical issues – such as time, cost and location – can also make it harder for people to take part in studies.
“To address these barriers, we must work with patients and community groups to build trust and raise awareness, ensuring that research is designed in a way that feels accessible and inclusive. This also includes promoting diversity among the teams that recruit patients for studies and biobanks.”
Chelala added that her team are working with the Breast Cancer Now Biobank to boost participation from underrepresented communities. Their efforts extend to working alongside Barts Charity through the Barts Life Sciences Precision Medicine programme and Barts Health NHS Trust, engaging local communities across north east London to encourage diverse research participation.
Researchers stressed that funders and fellow scientists must implement policies requiring the inclusion of diverse populations in study design, which they said is essential for achieving more equitable cancer care outcomes for all patients.
Nanray, whose treatment lasted 15 months, said, “I think we need more awareness in our communities. I’m trying to go to the temples, gurdwaras, and try to raise awareness for women and men to be more in touch with their bodies. If something’s not right, if you feel it’s not right, go to your GP. If your GP doesn’t listen, go to the hospital or A&E. Make noise until someone listens to you.”
The research, one of the largest studies of its kind involving south Asian women, suggested that NHS screening guidelines may need to change. It revealed that south Asian women were diagnosed with breast cancer nearly seven years earlier than women of European ancestry and died around thirteen years younger. Women of African ancestry were diagnosed about five years earlier and died nearly nine years younger.
Current NHS guidelines recommend breast screening for all women from age 50. However, researchers suggest this may be too late for women from some ethnic backgrounds, potentially missing up to 40 per cent of cases in younger women from these groups. It also pointed out differences in mutation rates in genes linked to breast cancer, including the BRCA genes, which affect genetic testing and treatment decisions.
Claude Chelala
Some women had genetic mutations that might have made their cancer resistant to certain treatments they received, but this information was not used in planning their care.
“Precision medicine has the power to revolutionise cancer care, but only if it works for everyone,” said Chelala. “If we fail to address blind spots in research, we risk widening health inequalities rather than reducing them.”
She added, “We need to address many blind spots in our knowledge to realise the promise of precision medicine for diverse populations. For this to happen, it is important to understand and tackle the under-representation of patients from ethnic minority groups in research studies and clinical trials. This is essential to enable benefits from future larger studies to be translated to all patients, to tailor care and reduce racial gaps in its delivery.”
Researchers have called for larger studies to better understand the genetic and clinical factors affecting breast cancer across diverse populations. They said funders and scientists must rethink how cancer research studies and clinical trials are designed to ensure all ethnic groups are properly represented.
Fiona Miller Smith, chief executive of Barts Charity, said, “Equity in healthcare is an important need for east London. Inequalities in health outcomes in certain ethnic populations, such as people from African or south Asian ancestry, are often made worse by under-representation in research data and studies.
“That’s why we fund so many projects that help to improve health outcomes for people from different backgrounds – including Professor Claude Chelala and her team’s study published today.
“The findings point to the need for increasing data collection of underrepresented groups in research studies – to ensure medical advances benefit everyone in our community.”
Breast Cancer Now’s Dr Kotryna Temcinaite said women from ethnic minority communities face inequalities throughout their breast cancer journey, from initial help-seeking to survival outcomes.
The research, supported by data from the Breast Cancer Now Biobank, aims to improve treatment approaches and results for these women.
Asked for her advice to someone with a cancer diagnosis, Nanray said, “Advocate for yourself, use your voice. If they don’t listen to you, take someone with you to talk on your behalf or support you. Those are two key things. You need to use your voice, because it’s about you.
“Share your story. Don’t be scared. Cancer is not a death sentence. By using your voice, you can improve it for the next person, the next generation, make their journey that bit easier, because it’s not easy having that diagnosis.”
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From Aishwarya to Janhvi and Sharmila to Sonam, Indian stars redefined red carpet storytelling at Cannes 2025
The Cannes Film Festival is about films. But it’s also about the stories that walk the red carpet when the cameras flash. This year was no cookie-cutter glamour, no borrowed Hollywood poses. Instead, our stars stormed, blessed, questioned, and, in some cases, completely redefined what it meant to “represent India” on a global stage. Forget the overused phrases about “making heads turn” or “serving looks.” These artists and icons came with messages stitched into every pleat, petal, and pearl. Some brought politics. Some brought poetry. All brought power.
Here are 10 moments that prove India didn’t just attend Cannes 2025. We hijacked it.
1. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan: The queen didn’t return, she reclaimed
In a sea of plunging necklines and sheer gowns, Aishwarya chose ivory silk, sindoor, and rubies that looked like they’d been mined from a queen’s treasury. Swathed in an ivory Banarasi masterpiece by Manish Malhotra, she reintroduced the red carpet to what Indian opulence really means. With sindoor glowing under camera flashes and rubies big enough to fund a film worth over £2 million, her look was unapologetically Indian. Not a throwback but more like a takeover.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan stuns in an ivory Banarasi silk saree by Manish Malhotra Getty Images
2. Sharmila Tagore: Grace walked in, time stood still
When Sharmila Tagore walked the Cannes carpet in emerald silk, something magical happened: the noise dimmed, and elegance took centre stage. No sequins, no theatrics. Just a green saree so rich it could’ve been woven from the forests of Aranyer Din Ratri. She simply stood there all radiant, calm, and proud, and Cannes remembered what a real star looks like.
Sharmila Tagore exudes timeless grace in a rich emerald silk sareeInstagram/sabapataudi
Janhvi’s Cannes debut paid homage to her mother with a soft pink Tarun Tahiliani saree look, handwoven in Banaras and accessorised with Chopard pearls worth £50,000. For the second look, she stunned in a green and gold backless Anamika Khanna gown with intricate embroidery, a dramatic long train, and traditional gold jewellery that elegantly draped down her back. From princess-core to regal desi drama, Janhvi served a dual wardrobe win on the Croisette.
Janhvi Kapoor in a soft pink Tarun Tahiliani Banarasi saree and wows in a green and gold backless Anamika Khanna gownInstagram/janhvikapoor/Getty Images
4. Karan Johar: Florals, but make it fearless
If anyone can make a rose controversial, it’s Karan. While others played it safe in black tuxedos, Karan marched in like a Bollywood maximalist dream in a Rohit Bal rose-embroidered coat priced at £10,000. Producing a serious film like Homebound and still showing up dripping in drama? That’s the duality only KJo can serve.
Karan Johar breaks the mold in a bold rose-embroidered coat by Rohit BalGetty Images
5. Simi Garewal: White isn’t a colour. It’s a command
In a snow-white Karleo gown with clean cuts and zero fuss, Simi proved style doesn’t need sparkle. With her trademark open hair and clutch, she looked like she’d walked straight out of a vintage film reel. Her presence was a quiet answer to anyone who thinks Cannes is only for the young. Legends, she reminded us, don’t fade; they refine.
Simi Garewal commands attention in a crisp white Karleo gownInstagram/simigarewalofficial
6. Jacqueline Fernandez: Red hot and regal at Women in Cinema
While others posed, Jacqueline was honoured, picked by the Red Sea Film Foundation as a Woman in Cinema. She stunned at the Women in Cinema Gala in a strapless red Nicole + Felicia gown worth £30,000 with a corseted bodice and fishtail skirt. The rose-floret drape added drama, while diamond jewellery and a bold red lip sealed this show-stopping look.
Jacqueline Fernandez captivates at the Women In Cinema gala in a strapless red Nicole + Felicia gownGetty Images
7. Vishal Jethwa: Dandy debut done right
Vishal made a strong first impression at Cannes in a sculpted black Kaushik Velendra pantsuit with shimmering shoulders and a golden bird brooch worth £5,000 . Sleek rings, glossy shoes, and a backswept hairdo completed his quietly flamboyant fashion win. It was a refreshing break from the usual red carpet formula, earning him instant sartorial cred.
Vishal Jethwa makes a stylish debut in a black embellished Kaushik Velendra pantsuit with a golden bird brooch Instagram/vishaljethwa06
8. Aditi Rao Hydari: The bride and the starlet in one
One night: a futuristic Rahul Mishra gown. The next? A red Raw Mango saree, sindoor, and all. Aditi didn’t just switch looks; she switched identities. Tradition and modernity, worn like two sides of the same coin. She wore her heritage like armour, proving tradition can outshine trend.
Aditi Rao Hydari transitions seamlessly between a futuristic Rahul Mishra gown and a traditional red Raw Mango saree Instagram/aditiraohydari
9. Mouni Roy: From primetime to prime carpet
She may be a Cannes freshman, but Mouni dressed like royalty. Midnight-blue couture, Chopard diamonds worth £100,000 and a pose that said, “I belong here.” No awkward debut jitters, just a woman who knew exactly when to step into the light.
Mouni Roy shines in midnight-blue couture and Chopard diamondsInstagram/imouniroy
10. Sonam C. Chhabra: The red carpet got political and personal
While others wore sequins, Sonam wore a cape etched with names of terror attack sites: Mumbai, Pulwama, Uri. It wasn’t subtle. It wasn’t supposed to be. Wrapped in white, she turned the carpet into a canvas for grief, pride, and resistance. Fashion can flirt or fight. She chose the latter.
Sonam C. Chhabra delivers a powerful political statement in a white cape etched with names of terror attack sitesInstagram/sonamcchhabra
So, what did India really do at Cannes 2025?
We didn’t just attend. We arrived. With every saree, every scene-stealing moment, and every cinematic victory, India’s stars reclaimed the narrative. This year, it wasn’t about who wore what. It was about who said something with fabric, with film, with fierce intent.
The Riviera might have the sunset, but this year, India owned the light.