Ananya Panday on Paris debutante ball: Never worn anything so fancy

Ananya with parents Chunky and Bhavana Panday at their Bandra residence PicsPradeep DhivarOver two months ago the Panday household received a letter from Opheacutelie Renouard inviting their elder daughter Ananya to be a part of Paris Le Bal It was not something the 18yearold her father actor Chunky Panday and wife Bhavana saw coming Hinged on the traditional European concept of a debutante ball Le Bal Paris has over the years fashioned itself as the place for 16 to 18yearolds from both royalty and famous families to make their couture and media premierePanday who has just graduated from high school in Mumbai and is looking forward to starting college at the University of Southern California next January is a private celebrity kid without a frenzied social media imprintAnanya PandeyI am there and fairly active too but my accounts are private she tells us as we settle down for a chat at her Bandra home Until this very moment Panday has never met or spoken with the media Theres a quiet innocent charm about her and an affable manner that one is easily taken in by Dressed in ripped jeans she stands as tall as her father thanks to the fourinch heels she effortlessly struts in Initially Ananya says she thought it was a family friend playing a prankIts the only byinvitation debutante ball in the world and I did not believe it that she was invited when mum told me But I think reality has finally sunk in She doesnt want to get too worked up though Nervous excitement would be the apt phrase to describe my state of mind Nervous because I have never been part of anything like this before says Panday who will don a Jean Paul Gaultier gown I have never worn anything so fancy or even an evening gown Once I was told I would be wearing a Gaultier I read up on him I realise its quite a big deal she says with a smileAnanya with her parents Bhavana and Chunky and family pet Fudge who also seems to want a share of the limelightIn the next few days Panday will be sending her measurements to the couturier The final fittings will happen two days before the ball The trick is to not lose or gain weight once the measurements are sent interjects Bhavana Being blessed with a tall and lean frame theres no diet regime Ananya follows In fact earlier this year when the family holidayed in Paris she and her younger sister binged on French cuisineI go to the gym and attend kathak classes Soon I will be taking ballroom dance lessons with my cousin Ahaan who will be my cavalier at the ball We have a dance planned together she says of Deanne and Chikki Pandays sonStyling and makeup are taken care of by the organisers The beauty of this event we are realising is that it is stressfree And its a debutante ball for a reason Nobody expects you to be perfect As far as grooming goes in children these days its inborn The idea is to be yourself and most importantly savour the exclusive experience Bhavana says Ananya has not exchanged notes with any former participants I want this to be my experience When you hear about others you tend to compareParisian PR supremo Ophelie Renouard founded Le Bal in 1992 Today shes the CEO of the grand event that completes 25 years on November 25 2017While the selection of someone as private as her might come as a surprise Renouard says that she is exactly the kind of debutante we are looking for exceptional girls who are private and discreet even though their families are wellknown I like to discover themShe heard of Ananya through friends and connections a standard modus operandi she subscribes to Once the debutante is selected the most important task is to find the right couture house Then we have a team for the hair and makeup shoes and general styling The tricky part is learning the waltz as most of them do not know how to dance A waltz lesson on the Friday before Le Bal helps she addsWith Indian families however Renouard has one stumbling block Sometimes the entourage makes it difficult to directly deal with the parents and the girls which is something I prefer If you deal with an assistant no matter how good they are something always gets lost in translationPrincess Charming to do the waltzJoining Ananya at the ball is Gauravi Kumari daughter to Diya Kumari Rajasthan MLA and daughter of the last Maharaja of Jaipur An experience on this scale is a first for her too Which is why it is so exciting she tells us over email She has just moved to New York to start her term at NYU I am taking waltz classes and I am still contemplating on the shoes I will be taking along says Kumari who will be dressed by Delhi couturier Tarun Tahiliani