In this episode, we are given a rare glimpse behind the gilded doors of Mumbai's one-percenters at the start of the social season. Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, two of India's most coveted designers, have dressed everyone from Posh Spice to Dame Judi Dench. Now, they throw open the doors of their fashionable residence on Juhu Beach, Mumbai's answer to Beverly Hills, as preparations are underway for the launch of their new collection, featuring a provocative film designed to outrage conservative opinion. Celebrated novelist Shobhaa De, known as the Jackie Collins of India, is launching her new book, Insatiable, in Asia's highest rooftop bar, and to mark the occasion she is interviewed by Bollywood heartthrob Aamir Khan. Shobhaa, born 6 months after Indian independence, became the voice of a newly liberated India in the 1990s. Her writings, unapologetic and provocative, mirrored changing attitudes towards women, sex and society. In 1990, tragedy struck the Birlas, one of Mumbai's richest manufacturing dynasties, when the father, mother and daughter of one branch of the family were all killed in a plane crash. Their only son, Yash, was studying in America at the time, and we meet him during a photoshoot for his devoted social media following. He explains how he channelled his feelings of desperation 'from remorse to love'. Billionaire petrolhead Gautam Singhania is the driving force behind the iconic Raymond brand. Throughout the 1990s, a Raymond suit came to embody a new Indian ethos which was ambitious, sophisticated and international in outlook. Jimmy Mistry is a Parsi business tycoon who designed his own skyscraper inspired by the palace of Persephone. His business empire was built on the economic reforms of 1991, and he now represents a particular breed of Indian entrepreneurs who throw themselves into philanthropic enterprises.
Die Sendung wird ausgestrahlt am Samstag, den 22.08.2026 um 09:30 Uhr auf BBC News.