If everyone around you seems to be in party mode, here’s how to throw your own bash at the last minute, from an expert in themed parties – Prabhati Rathi
PIC/PINTEREST@Raamaé; PIC/PINTEREST@Kamalika Banerjee; PIC/PINTEREST@Artbyte Studio by Aditya Gupta
If Diwali is the season of excess, Prabhati Rathi is the kind of hostess who believes in going gloriously overboard. For the 28-year-old Mumbai content creator, a party isn’t a party until it’s got a theme, a twist, and at least one completely unhinged idea that turns into an Instagram reel by morning.
Rathi, also known as @winechai__ on Instagram, is fast becoming the app’s resident “party architect”. She’s thrown a murder mystery evening complete with crime-scene decor, a DIY art night where everyone left with a painting, and even ran a pop-up café from her home for her birthday. “I love spending time with my friends, but I don’t just want to sit around gossiping anymore. I like parties that make people do things.”
PIC/PINTEREST@dhaara and PIC/PINTEREST@Siffa Noorani
Her parties are pure Pinterest fever dreams, but how did the idea come to her, “I think it started when I did a home wedding of sorts earlier this year,” she recalls. “We had a mix of Catholic and Hindu traditions — feras, vows, even a priest played by a friend. It was my first go at creating a theme from scratch.”
Since then, she’s been building an aesthetic for parties that become memories — the kind you look back on fondly for their madness, not their perfection. And for those still scrambling to plan something festive, Rathi’s idea for a last-minute Diwali house party proves that all you need are friends, a sense of humour, and some masti.
PIC/PINTEREST@Rashi Malhotra; (right) Here’s some inspo for design and decor of Rathi’s Pinterest-inspired Diwali party. PIC/PINTEREST@Vani Singh
“I know Diwali parties in Mumbai are usually about taash [playing cards]. But I’m terrible at gambling.” Despite the no-poker policy, she insists that a little competition is essential to keep the energy alive.
“When guests arrive, they’ll pick a chit and get sorted into two teams: Team Kaju Katli versus Team Soan Papdi,” she grins. “I don’t know who’ll willingly pick Soan Papdi!” Each team brings a signature mithai to stock up the dessert table, creating a sugary battlefield and saving you from the hassle of arranging that Diwali essential, mithai.
Prabhati Rathi
The decor is a nod to the taash tradition without the gambling: king-and-queen motifs on invites, playing card coasters scattered across tables, and strings of fairy lights shaped like diamonds and hearts. “I still want that feeling of Diwali glitz,” she says. “It looks lavish even if you’ve pulled it together at the last minute.”
If the food is all about rivalry, the drinks are about reckless unity. “Everyone brings their own poison — wine, rum, juice, anything — and we mix it all to make one giant punch bowl,” says Rathi. “Once everyone adds their ingredient, we drink it together, no matter how good or bad it turns out.”
The first party that Prabhati Rathi ever organised was shaadi-themed
She swears by this idea for a spontaneous get-together. “It’s such a good idea for throwing a last-minute party,” she adds. “No one stresses about what to bring for the host — plus, it saves the host from juggling a bunch of flower bouquets mid-party, trying to find vases for them all.” The real heart of Rathi’s parties lies in the games. “The concept is loosely inspired by Koffee with Karan,” she says. Her version is called Party with Prabhati — a Diwali-coded talk show-meets-games night. Guests, divided into their mithai teams, battle through Bollywood rapid fire rounds, ’90s jingle guessing games, and “even those chaotic Instagram challenges like Atka Matka Latka Jhatka,” she laughs.
But the highlight of the night is an activation rule. “Every time someone says the word Diwali, everyone has to do three thumkas,” she laughs. “Whoever forgets, their team loses a point. It’s silly, but it keeps everyone on their toes.”
As for her own plans, “I’m heading home to Rajasthan,” she says. “But this idea is making me think: Maybe I should host a Diwali party soon,” she laughs. Because if there’s one thing Rathi proves, it’s that the best parties aren’t about months of prep — they’re about spirit, spontaneity, and friends willing to do a thumka on cue.
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