All That Glitters: New York’s South Asian Elite Celebrate Diwali as a Cultural Moment

The grand staircase of the Lotte New York Palace hotel sparkled with mirror work and candlelight on Saturday night as approximately 220 guests in their most resplendent Desi attire—from corset saris to velvet sherwanis—gathered for what has become New York’s premier Diwali celebration: the All That Glitters Diwali Ball.

Hosted by talent strategist and investor Anjula Acharia on October 11, the annual event has evolved from an intimate gathering into a cultural statement about the growing influence of South Asian communities in New York City, bringing together film directors, musicians, business leaders, and government officials to celebrate the Hindu festival of lights.

For Acharia, who also manages actress Priyanka Chopra, this year’s ball carried particular significance. According to The New York Times, her goal was to celebrate South Asians’ influence on New York City culture, highlighting contributions across local politics, fashion, and even the Police Department. “The ball is more than a celebration—it’s a cultural movement,” Acharia said.

The sentiment was echoed by celebrity chef Vikas Khanna, whose team from his East Village restaurant Bungalow prepared the evening’s dinner. “A big change is happening here,” Khanna, who has lived in New York for 25 years, told The Times. “I just feel it’s also making us express ourselves more proudly.”

Star-Studded Arrivals

Chopra and her husband, singer Nick Jonas, greeted guests with hugs in the hotel’s opulent rotunda, according to The Times. The couple stole the show with their glamorous, coordinated outfits—Priyanka in a stunning white Indo-Western ensemble, and Nick in a traditional white sherwani.

Chopra wore a custom Zuhair Murad Resort 2026 creation, accessorizing the silver set with a flower in her hair and a bindi on her forehead. “Mirror work is such an integral part of Indian clothing, and it has been around from Rajasthan to so many parts of the world, so I wanted to represent that,” Chopra told The Times. “The flowers are on my Bollywood side.”

Jonas, ever the supportive partner, kept it simple: “I just followed her lead,” he said.

The guest list read like a who’s who of South Asian achievement across multiple fields. Dancer and singer Nora Fatehi chatted with entrepreneur Mona Patel. Siddharth Suryanarayan, a prominent actor in the Tamil and Telugu film industries, talked with actress Avantika Vandanapu.

Other notable attendees included actor Kal Penn, underscoring the event’s draw across entertainment, business, and civic life. The crowd of about 220 included people from the worlds of entertainment, hospitality, and city government.

The guest list read like a who’s who of South Asian achievement across multiple fields. Dancer and singer Nora Fatehi chatted with entrepreneur Mona Patel. Siddharth Suryanarayan, a prominent actor in the Tamil and Telugu film industries, talked with actress Avantika Vandanapu.

Dancing Until Dawn

As dinner concluded around 10 p.m., guests climbed the grand staircase from the courtyard where they had dined, walking through a dim candlelit hallway into the after-party, The Times reported. The atmosphere shifted from elegant formality to exuberant celebration.

Fashion designer Prabal Gurung and artist Salman Toor danced as the Bollywood hit “Tauba Tauba” played from the speakers. The music collective Indo Warehouse provided the soundtrack for the evening, and according to The Times, the dance floor sparkled well into the night—a fitting metaphor for the event itself.

The All That Glitters Diwali Ball has grown significantly since its inception. What began as a smaller celebration has become an annual fixture on New York’s social calendar, marking not just a religious festival but the increasing visibility and influence of South Asian communities in American culture.

The event’s evolution mirrors broader demographic and cultural shifts. South Asians have become increasingly prominent in American business, entertainment, politics, and civic life, and Acharia’s ball provides a glamorous focal point for that emergence—a night when success is celebrated through the lens of cultural pride rather than assimilation.

A Statement of Pride and Belonging

For many attendees, the evening represented more than networking or celebration. It was a statement of identity and belonging in a city that has long been defined by its immigrant communities but hasn’t always made space for South Asian culture in its most visible celebrations.

Khanna’s observation about expressing oneself “more proudly” captured something essential about the moment. The ball doesn’t ask guests to choose between professional success and cultural identity—it insists they can, and should, embrace both simultaneously.

As Diwali approaches later this month, the All That Glitters Ball serves as an early celebration but also as a preview of where South Asian cultural visibility in America is heading. For Acharia and her guests, the festival of lights has found a permanent home in the city that never sleeps—and if Saturday night was any indication, it’s shining brighter than ever.

Photos: Screenshots from Instagram. Top image, host Anjula Acharia is second from left. This story was aggregated by AI from several news reports and edited by American Kahani’s News Desk.