What exactly is a Debutante Ball, and who can go?

Superstar Amitabh Bachchanrsquos granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda is going to be presented at Parisrsquos Le Bal this November An AFPTV video following this announcement shows the 17yearold talk about the daunting tasks she has ahead of the annual event mdash learning to walk in heels for one Slipping that tall lissome Bachchan frame into a couture gown sitting still while a makeup artiste hides the excitement of a teenagerrsquos skin and learning ballroom dancingA still from the AFPTV interview of Navya Naveli Amitabh Bachchanrsquos granddaughter as she prepares for her November debutDebutante balls are a European tradition a way to introduce 16to18yearold girls of breeding and lineage into society to the reigning king or queen in imperial states It marks the beginning of the girlrsquos public life from when she will begin to receiveinvitations to social events amongst adultsLeana Mallya red UB Group chairman Vijay Mallyarsquos daughter with the other lsquodebsrsquo at the 2011 debut PICPhoto archives Le BallMost explicitly it is an elegant way of presenting a fresh crop of wealthy and pedigree genetics up for harvest read marriage Itrsquos all there in the clothes mdash the girls wear virginal white couture gowns and gossamer heels Their skin already budfresh is left as is mdash there is no overprocessing of colours such as smokey eyes or matte lips mdash itrsquos all dewy and pink and peachIn these times the relevance is somewhat diluted but the tradition still holds in some echelons of society Queen Charlottersquos Ball held in Highclere Castle more famous as Downton Abbey England the International Debutante Ball held every two years in New York and Le Bal in ParisMukesh and Neeta Ambanirsquos daughter Isha also made her debut at Hotel Crillon in 2012 PicPhoto archives Le BalldquoDebutant balls are rich in nonnegotiable protocol rituals and etiquetterdquo one society watcher tells us ldquoThey are only for the creamiest layer of society and families prepare almost a year in advance There are finishing schools to teach the girls how to use the right cutlery lose weight to fit into couture gowns correct skin and hair imperfections and take ballroom classes These are for both daughter and father as they will take to the floor together They are also groomed in holding elegant conversations on current events without crude debating or baiting and how to walk down a curving staircase in heelsrdquo Some of them require you to be associated with a charity for a while raising funds or awareness At Queen Charlottersquos ball the debutante curtsies a cake presumably seeing it as a representative of royalty and not carbohydratesAmitabh Bachchanrsquos 17yearold granddaughter Navya Naveli Nanda is going to be lsquopresentedrsquo at Parisrsquos Le Bal in November In an interview with AFPTV shot in Paris where she is currently staying with her mother Shweta Bachchan Navya says she has been taking dance lessons and practicing walking in heels ldquocause thatrsquos not a usual thingrdquo for her Makeup sessions are a mandatory stage for the preparation for Le Bal at which 25 young girls are presented each year Each girl gets one top designer to provide the dress For Navya itrsquos Christian Dior The biggest balls are in Europe and the ldquoinvitees are a mix of royalty industrialists and people from creative royalty such as rockstars and actorsrdquo says Chhaya Momaya an image consultant ldquoEveryone from a Trump to Madonnarsquos daughter to a European prince will be present Asians are not as widely represented but that is changingrdquo Navya Naveli will be the seventh Indian to be invited to Paris prior to her Isha Ambani Leana Mallya Shaiyra Devi of Kapurthala Adishree Singh of Jammu and Kashmir Akshita Bhanjdeo of Mayurbhanj and Ashna Mehta have descended faintly from the staircaseAmong the India royalty who have debuted at Le Bal which is held at Hotel Crillon every November are Akshita Bhanjdeo of Mayurbhanj in gold seen here with Ashna Mehta pink daughter of an industrialist in 2013 Debs are allowed to invite friends boyfriends and brothers to act as escorts When they do ask for dates the choices are usually princes or baronsWhile most of the balls are said to be byinvitation only there are murmurs that there is an intimidating fee ldquoEvery royal who doesnrsquot have the money to buy a gourmet meal will make sure their daughter gets into the debutante ball so that she marries wellrdquo says a wry socialiteInvitees are a mix of royalty industrialists and people from creative royalty such as rockstars and actors Among the six other Indians who have debuted at Le Bal is Leana Mallya daughter of UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya PICS LE BAL PHOTO GALLERY In more informalsociety debutante balls are downscaled and adapted to be sophisticated fun Devita Saraf founder and CEO of Vu Technologies remembers her college mates attending some ldquoIt has lost its original purpose but it remains a night of elegance tradition and high societyrdquo says Saraf who went to university in California ldquoThe girls wear prom dresses and could be from sororities It is certainly not for marriage because girls donrsquot marry that young anymore Men are involved as escorts but it more about the girls Any way there are such few avenues for women to put themselves forward without seeming pushy and this is one of themrdquoDaughter of Reliance tycoon Mukesh Ambani Isha Ambani debuted at the Paris Le Bal in 2012 Part of the preparatory stage which often starts a year before the society debut is ballroom classes for both daughter and father as they will take to the floor together A year before the European debut Isha made the Indian society debut by way of appearing on the cover of Hello magazine with mother Neeta AmbaniFashion designer Delna Poonawalla daughter to Punebased billionaire breeder Cyrus Poonawalla is a detractor of these rituals ldquoAs a modern womanrdquo she says ldquoI believe we do not need any more rituals through which we are introduced into society to make good wives Instead we need to empower young girls with a great education skills and confidence to make of themselves what they likerdquoCloser home a cover on a high society magazine or an interview in the Sunday pages is another way of coming out Relevantly this showcases a womanrsquos attributes along with breeding and status in societyldquoWe all each have our own rituals and a debutante ball is very English in naturerdquo says Delna ldquoBeing Parsi my family is more open to Western influences but even so to see an actual debutante ball is rare What I have seen celebrated by the upper class of society and now daughters of celebrities is their Sweet 16 or the 18th birthday that marks a girlrsquos entry into young adulthood and independencerdquoMomaya who helps with such media introductions says ldquoFamilies will now choose the right magazines or papers to introduce their children It could be to say that the son or daughter has joined the family business and not just for marriage Now our children study abroad and are gone for many years This becomes a way of saying they are back And yes eligible for marriage But itrsquos not just superficial itrsquos about personality and attributes Usually Irsquoll speak to a media house and say instead of a fashion shoot why not do an interview about their charity work One person set up an exhibition of her art and proposals flooded inrdquoThere is still a standard to be maintained which is done by choice of magazine Hello is the official partner for Le Ball and thus has exclusive rights to the pictures But even that doesnrsquot mean yoursquoll make it to the cover ldquoWe have certain standards and work with royal and high profile families closelyrdquo says editor Ruchika Mehta ldquoWe know in advance when an heir or heiress is graduating or coming back to the country and wersquoll chart out an interview or cover with the parentsrdquoThey canrsquot just be children of cinematic stars or minor princelings says another editor of a society magazine ldquoThey would have to be direct descendant of a major royal familyrdquo he snorts ldquoA Jhanvi Kapoor Sridevi and Boney Kapoorrsquos daughter would not be a solo cover for usrdquoThe rest of us Letrsquos eat cake