Elle India – July 2019

LIFESTYLE

ELLE.IN 136 JULY

Neena Gupta and Masaba Gupta, the

new faces of Chandon India, on being

game changers, and why intimate

soirées will always trump high-profile dos

LIFE OF THE PARTY

From Left:

Masaba Gupta

and Neena Gupta

W

e’re at a suburban hotel and club in Mumbai
to meet veteran actor Neena Gupta, known
for essaying powerful roles on TV shows
like Saans (1998) and in films such as
Badhaai Ho (2018), and her daughter,
the designer Masaba Gupta, who’s been credited for
popularising the sari among millennials. It’s been a long
day of shooting, but they are easy-going and quick to
laugh. It’s immediately clear why they’ve been fixtures
on the social circuit for so long—they breathe life into
any room. Fitting then, that they are the new face of
Chandon India’s The Party Starters 2.0 campaign,
which features game changers across fields.

ELLE: Tell us about your association with
Chandon.
Masaba Gupta: Chandon is my preferred
drink of choice, and it’s a brand I resonate
strongly with. It fits any occasion in any
part of the world, and is something that
gets the festivities going.
Neena Gupta: I feel proud that they have
chosen us as their game changers. And I
like the idea that you don’t drink Chandon
alone—it’s all about sharing.

ELLE: What does a party with the Gupta
women look like?
NG: We like to be home these days. We love
to relax and have a drink together, either at

each other’s houses or our friends’ homes.

MG: We prefer intimate gatherings now. We’d

rather make memories than be somewhere with

thumping music.

ELLE: You’ve both been game changers in your respective

careers. Looking back, what would you say was was the

turning point?

MG: It happens when you’re not thinking about it.

Changing the game is born from a moment of calmness,

when you’re not trying too hard to make a difference.

For me, it was probably in 2011, when I designed

the polka dot sari for Sonam Kapoor for the Cannes

Film Festival.

NG: It is only much later that you realise the game has

changed because of something you’ve done. Without

thinking too much about what I did, my

Instagram post [about asking for work] in

2017 became a game changer.

ELLE: What’s your favourite cocktail

recipe using Chandon?

MG: Add a little bit of lime juice, grapefruit,

and a few berries to Chandon Brut for a

delicious drink that’s perfect for summer.

NG: I prefer it straight up.

ELLE: If you were a drink, which one

would you be?

MG: I’d be a mimosa. I love citrus flavours

and sparkling wine.

NG: Rosé. It’s lighter and easier to down.

— MANALI SHAH

Changing

the game is

born from a

moment of

calmness

— MASABA GUPTA