Inside the ‘All That Glitters’ Diwali Ball, Where South Asian Glamour Shined Bright

Inside the 'All That Glitters' Diwali Ball, Where South Asian Glamour Shined Bright

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Inside the 'All That Glitters' Diwali Ball, Where South Asian Glamour Shined Bright

Aimée LutkinOctober 13, 2025 at 1:19 AM

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Last night, Lotte New York Palace gleamed with the annual "All That Glitters" Diwali Ball, a celebration honoring influential South Asian creatives from a range of industries. Founded by entertainment executive Anjula Acharia, the event brings people together through community, featuring food, dancing, live performances, and a major philanthropic fundraising initiative.

"The ball more than a celebration—it's a cultural movement," Acharia tells ELLE.

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She continued, "Each year, we gather not just to honor our heritage, but to create space for South Asian voices, champion global causes, and build bridges through community, creativity, and purpose. I'm so proud of the way this event has flourished, and I'm looking forward to many years of continuing this annual tradition."

The event also celebrated Diwali, the Festival of Lights, with stars shining brightly throughout the night in their traditional holiday ensembles.

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Designer Falguni Peacock told ELLE that he created looks for Bozoma Saint John and Bollywood actress Bhumi Pednekar for the event, noting, "The vibrant South Asian fashion industry is wonderfully showcased at this event."

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This year, the ball raised funds for the South Asian Council for Social Services and King Charles's British Asian Trust, supporting global humanitarian initiatives.

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Guests enjoyed a dinner from the renowned New York City eatery Bungalow, followed by a captivating performance by Indo WareHouse.

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The guest list was star-studded, featuring stars like Priyanka Chopra Jonas and her husband, Nick Jonas, Aasif Mandvi, Avantika, Gurinder Chadha, Jay Sean, Jessel Taank, Kal Penn, Nora Fatehi, Prabal Gurung, Siddarth, Vikas Khanna, and many more. Influential executives such as Robert Kyncl, Anjali Sud, Bing Chen, Divya Mathur, Jonathan Bottomley, Monte Lipman, Rajnish Bharadwaj, Samina Virk, Viral Patel, and Anita Chatterjee were also in attendance.

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"At a time of particular strife and darkness at home and abroad, it was a joyful night full of love, light, and friendship in the spirit of uplifting organizations that do amazing work around the globe," Penn says.

Jared Siskin - Getty Images

Avantika had a similar takeaway, saying, "Anjula does an incredible job of bringing our diaspora together—it made my night so filled with light to have my Bollywood mentors, Hollywood role models, best friends from all over the subcontinent, South Asian agent, and so many people who have made my career possible all in one room together dancing to 'Desi Girl'!"

For more photos from the evening, click through the gallery below.

Avantika