Culture / #ANOKHI20: Celebrating 20 Years While Honouring South Asian Empire Builders With Star-Studded Celebrity Fashion Show, Mental Health Awareness Brunch & Entertainment Gala

#ANOKHI20: Celebrating 20 Years While Honouring South Asian Empire Builders With Star-Studded Celebrity Fashion Show, Mental Health Awareness Brunch & Entertainment Gala

Culture Jun 27, 2023

by Hina P. Ansari

We did it! With 3 amazing events spanning 2 days, ANOKHI LIFE, North America’s longest running multimedia, multi-platform brand about South Asian pop culture, lifestyle, and entertainment celebrated its 20th Anniversary this past weekend June 16th – June 17th in Toronto. The star-studded extravaganza included celebrity red carpets, award ceremonies, 7-designer fashion show, interactive fireside chats, and live musical performances. Check out the highlights of #ANOKHI20 right here!

Here is a quick recap of the 3 events which were covered by Zee TV and Getty Images:

ANOKHI EMERALD RUNWAY Presented By Dhalla Group Of Companies

June 16th, 2023 | Westin Toronto Airport Hotel

CEO Raj Girn started the evening by sharing the ANOKHI EMERALD RUNWAY mandate — to celebrate and showcase 20 years of South Asian fashion, style, and beauty, based on true and pure empowerment of the Divine Feminine, in the form of Maha Lakshmi, who exemplifies these qualities. The MP for Brampton South, Sonia Sidhu presented ANOKHI LIFE with a certificate celebrating the 20 year milestone. This was followed by Dr. Ruby Dhalla, CEO of the Dhalla Group of Companies delivering her presenting sponsor’s address.

ANOKHI EMERALD AWARD HONOUREES:

The 5 honourees in the Glamour category presented By the Dhalla Group Of Companies were as follows:

Excellence in Beauty Empowerment: Neelam Verma

Excellence in Fashion: Priya Chhabria

Excellence in Fashion: Archana Kochhar

Excellence in Fashion Design: Dinesh K Ramsay

Lifetime Excellence in Fashion: Naeem Khan

#ANOKHI20: Celebrating 20 Years While Honouring South Asian Empire Builders With Star-Studded Celebrity Fashion Show, Mental Health Awareness Brunch & Entertainment Gala: Counter Clockwise from top left: Lord Ganesh statue at the entrance, Neelam Verma, Dr. Ruby Dhalla, Dinesh K Ramsay, Raj Girn with MP Sonia Sidhu. Photo Credits listed below.

The runway was filled with notable Canadian celebrities who came in from all over the country to celebrate with us! This included Ali Kazmi, Fuad Ahmed, Harjas Singh, Husein Madhavji, Neelam Verma, Nobahar Dadui, Sandy Kaur Gill and Sonia Jhas.

Guests enjoyed food by by Zauq and dessert by Cheezeco, as well as snack stations by our sponsors KFI The Indian Sauce Company and Shana Foods. Mocktails were provided by Rubicon Exotic, with cocktails provided by Five Rivers Punjabi Whisky & Blue Peacock Vodka.

*Stay tuned for our detailed recap of the ANOKHI EMERALD RUNWAY!

ANOKHI EMERALD BRUNCH Presented By Meridian Credit Union

June 17th, 2023 | 10am – 2pm | The Westin Toronto Airport Hotel

Raj Girn started off with sharing the ANOKHI EMERALD BRUNCH mandate — to normalize discussions around mental health within the South Asian community, all while sharing tips and resources, as ANOKHI did with the online ‘Circle Of Trust’ video series during May’s Mental Health Month which many prominent personalities from the South Asian community had participated in.

The goal of the event was to continue the ‘Circle Of Trust’ initiative, by sharing and learning in each other’s real life, lived experiences, to uplift and empower our lifeforce to emanate on a higher frequency, in honour of Maha Parvati Shakti.

This was followed by Sunny Sodhi, the Chief Legal and Corporate Affairs Officer at Meridian Credit Union, delivering the presenting sponsor address for the attendees. This was then followed by a keynote by Sarah Ahmed from the Centre For Addiction And Mental Health where she presented her findings from a study done to examine the challenges South Asians experience when looking for mental health treatments and therapy.

ANOKHI EMERALD AWARD HONOUREES:

The 5 honourees across the Beauty, Business and Entertainment categories presented

By Meridian Credit Union were as follows:

Excellence in the Art of Wellness: Thara Natalie

Excellence in Arts & Entertainment: Karen David

Excellence in Arts & Entertainment: Natasha Chandel

Excellence in Business & Politics: Dr. Ruby Dhalla

Lifetime Excellence in Beauty Arts: Tamanna Roashan

CIRCLE OF TRUST SEGMENT:

The Circle Of Trust Segment featured an energy healing session with sound bowls, meditation and Intention Setting by Thara Natalie. This set the stage for an afternoon of enlightening interactive conversations focused on various spaces while keeping the connection to mental health. The three fireside chats that took place were:

Fireside Chat #1: ‘Women In Arts & Entertainment’, Featuring Karen David And Natasha Chandel, Brought To You By Home Of Dentistry

Fireside Chat #2: ‘Women In Business & Financial Confidence, Featuring Dilys D’Cruz And Dr. Ruby Dhalla, Brought To You By Aloe Accounting And Tax Professional Corporation

Fireside Chat #3: ‘Women In The Competitive World Of Glamour’ Featuring Tamanna Roashan, Brought To You By Glow College Of Artistic Design

Throughout the course of event, Raj Girn encouraged audience members to participate in discussions, with each participant receiving a complimentary stress ball, in keeping with the mental health theme of the event.

Guests enjoyed food by by Gouda Thyme, as well as snack stations by our sponsors KFI The Indian Sauce Company and Shana Foods. Mocktails were provided by Rubicon Exotic.

*Stay tuned for our detailed recap of the ANOKHI EMERALD BRUNCH!

ANOKHI EMERALD BALL Presented By Dhalla Group Of Companies

June 17th, 2023 | 7pm – 1am | The Westin Toronto Airport Hotel

The Grand Finale! Raj Girn started off the festivities by sharing the ANOKHI EMERALD BALL mandate — to celebrate and showcase 20 years of South Asian arts and entertainment based on the virtues of Maha Saraswati, the Divine Goddess of music, art, and learning.

ANOKHI EMERALD AWARD HONOUREES:

The 5 honourees in the music & entertainment industries, presented

by Dhalla Group Of Companies were as follows:

Lifetime Excellence In Music Advancement: Sammy Chand

Excellence In Music Artistry: Rhea Raj

Excellence In Music Artistry: Raghav

Excellence In Music Artistry: Rup Magon of Josh The Band

Excellence In Music Artistry: Deep Jandu

THE UNVEILING OF THE DR. NEIL DHALLA AWARD OF EXCELLENCE:

One of the highlights of the evening was the presentation of the Dr. Neil Dhalla Award Of Excellence. This prestigious award was presented to Mr. Jacob Arabo the founder of the global luxury watch brand, Jacob & Co.. Jacob & Co. watches have graced the wrists of global roster of A-List celebs such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Jay-Z and most recently was donned by Rihanna during her iconic Superbowl Halftime Show. The Neil Dhalla Award of Excellence was presented to Arabo by Dr. Ruby Dhalla, the CEO of the Dhalla Group Of Companies. The award honours individuals who, like Dr. Neil Dhalla, embody vision, passion, and purpose in their endeavours. Mr. Arabo celebrated his maiden voyage to Canada, which was made exclusively to attend the ANOKHI Emerald Ball.

The evening was punctuated by numerous musical artists who graced the stage throughout the evening including Rhea Raj, Raghav, DJ Reshiv, Amar Dholi, Rup Magon of JoSH The Band, and a surprise appearance by Deep Jandu.

Noted Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown was in attendance and came up to the stage to congratulate Raj Girn and the ANOKHI Team on their 20 years of serving the South Asian community in Canada and around the world.

Guests enjoyed food by by Aunty’s Kitchen, as well as snack stations by our sponsors KFI The Indian Sauce Company and Shana Foods. Mocktails were provided by Rubicon Exotic, with cocktails provided by Five Rivers Punjabi Whisky & Blue Peacock Vodka.

*Stay tuned for our detailed recap of the ANOKHI EMERALD BALL!

Thank you to all of our #ANOKHI20 Sponsors & Partners! We encourage you all to check their websites (click on their names) and explore their social media!

EVENT HOST: ANOKHI LIFE

IN SUPPORT OF: CENTRE FOR ADDICTION AND MENTAL HEALTH (CAMH)

VENUE & HOTEL SPONSOR: THE WESTIN TORONTO AIRPORT HOTEL

THE ANOKHI EMERALD RUNWAY & BALL PRESENTED BY: DHALLA GROUP OF COMPANIES

ANOKHI EMERALD BRUNCH PRESENTED BY: MERIDIAN CREDIT UNION

TALENT BROUGHT TO YOU BY: THE OPEN CHEST CONFIDENCE ACADEMY

PLATINUM SPONSOR: KFI THE INDIAN SAUCE COMPANY

GOLD SPONSOR: BIOARO

GOLD SPONSOR: KEEK

GOLD SPONSOR: MANTELLA CORPORATION

GOLD SPONSOR: ROWENTA

GOLD SPONSOR/BROADCAST MEDIA PARTNER: ZEE TV CANADA HD

SILVER/ JUICE SPONSOR: RUBICON EXOTIC

SILVER SPONSOR: SHANA

SILVER SPONSOR: SHARMA SINGH IMMIGRATION SERVICES INC.

SILVER SPONSOR/RADIO PARTNER: RUKUS AVENUE RADIO

FRONT STAGE LOGISTICS AND SHOW MANAGEMENT: STYLEWORTHY

FASHION SHOW MANAGEMENT: FEMIDA SIDI

BACKSTAGE MANAGEMENT, MODELS & FASHION CHOREOGRAPHY: TORONTO FASHION ACADEMY

DECOR PARTNER: TOP DIAMOND EVENTS & PARTY RENTALS

DECOR CONSULTING BY: CHIC LUXURY EVENTS

BAR & FLOOR WRAPS SPONSOR: PARAGON DESIGNS

AUDIO & VISUAL PARTNER: EMPIRE ENTERTAINMENT

AWARD DESIGN & SHOW ANIMATIONS BY: DAN FILIP RADU 3D ANIMATION & VIDEO PRODUCTION

MEDIA & PR: MEDIAWORKS

ANOKHI EMERALD BRUNCH FIRESIDE CHAT #1 BROUGHT TO YOU BY: HOME OF DENTISTRY

ANOKHI EMERALD BRUNCH FIRESIDE CHAT #2 BROUGHT TO YOU BY: ALOE ACCOUNTING AND TAX PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION

ANOKHI EMERALD BRUNCH FIRESIDE CHAT #3 BROUGHT TO YOU BY: GLOW COLLEGE OF ARTISTIC DESIGN

RAJ GIRN’S HAIR & MAKEUP PROVIDED BY: THE BEAUTY CONCEPT BY SHIRLEY WU

RAJ GIRN’S JEWELLERY PROVIDED BY: BANGLEZ

RAJ GIRN’S CLUTCHES PROVIDED BY: CLUTCHEEET

HAIR SPONSOR: PRIVE HAIR GALLERY

MAKEUP SPONSOR: VASANTI COSMETICS

DJ PARTNER: TORONTO DJ ACADEMY

DJ PARTNER: DJ RESHIV

BRONZE/WHISKEY SPONSOR: FIVE RIVERS PUNJABI WHISKEY

BRONZE/VODKA SPONSOR: BLUE PEACOCK VODKA

ANNIVERSARY CAKE PROVIDED BY: KATE FRASCH

PHOTO & VIDEO PARTNER: NISARGMEDIA PRODUCTIONS

RED CARPET COVERAGE: ANOKHI UNCENSORED

RED CARPET COVERAGE: GETTY IMAGES

ONLINE MEDIA PARTNER: DISSDASH

COMMUNITY PARTNER: GTA SOUTH ASIAN MEDIA NETWORK

COMMUNITY PARTNER: SAPNA TORONTO

We Like To Thank Our Valued Sweepstakes Sponsors

ANOKHI LIFE, CLUTCHEET, EAST BOUTIQUE , KFI THE INDIAN SAUCE COMPANY, MUBARAK CLUTCHES, ROWENTA, RUBICON EXOTIC, SAHIBA FASHIONS, SHANA FOODS , THE OPEN CHEST CONFIDENCE ACADEMY

Main Image Photo Credit & Red Carpet Photo Credits for ANOKHI EMERALD RUNWAY, ANOKHI EMERALD BRUNCH, ANOKHI EMERALD BALL: © 2023 ANOKHI LIFE. Shawn Goldberg, signed with Getty Images/Shutterstock/Sopa Images.

Hina P. Ansari

Author

Hina P. Ansari is a graduate from The University of Western Ontario (London, Ontario). Since then she has carved a successful career in Canada's national fashion-publishing world as the Entertainment/Photo Editor at FLARE Magazine, Canada's national fashion magazine. She was the first South Asian in...

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#ANOKHI20: Celebrating 20 Years While Honouring South Asian Empire Builders With Star-Studded Celebrity Fashion Show, Mental Health Awareness Brunch & Entertainment Gala

by Hina P. Ansari

Thank you to all of our #ANOKHI20 Sponsors & Partners! We encourage you all to check their websites (click on their names) and explore their social media!

We Like To Thank Our Valued Sweepstakes Sponsors

Hina P. Ansari

COMMENTS

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