How Avantika & More South Asian Celebs Are Sparkling This Diwali

Diwali celebrations have grown bigger and bolder each year, and Avantika’s baby-blue Rahul Mishra sari—paired with an ornate tikka and matching jhumka earrings—proved it at the third annual soirée.  

“I love wearing a sari and I’m usually in a sari,” she explained, “but I wanted to do something that was a little more sparkly this year and less traditional.” 

Ahead of the Nov. 8 holiday, the 21-year-old wasn’t the only attendee bringing shimmer and glitter to the cozy venue, where rooms were filled with eye-catching ensembles, rhythmic music and aromatic hors d’oeuvres.

Seerat Saini, no stranger to Diwali celebrations, stepped out in a moody burgundy Papa Don’t Preach number featuring blue and maroon beading and an elegant sari drape.

“This month, there’s a ton of events,” she told E!. “I was equating it earlier to Bridgerton, where we have different balls and different hosts.” 

The influencer also shared a special message for anyone celebrating the festival of lights, honored by religions across South Asia, including Sikhi, Jainism and Hinduism.

“It’s your time to shine, baby girl,” she emphasized. “Diwali is about dressing how you feel most beautiful. We love our South Asian wear. We love our South Asian designers.” 

“It’s something that a lot of us used to be ashamed about growing up,” she continued.
“So celebrate the f–k out of it! Do whatever is going to make you feel like the light that you are.”

Women weren’t the only ones showing out at the party, either. While Aryan opted for a more subtle look in a sheer white Nazranaa kurta, he completed it with a stunning elephant brooch with an emerald drop diamond.

But beyond the glitz and glam, South Asian stars are also celebrating Diwali outside the party scene. For instance, the Freakier Friday actor is hoping to get lit—literally.

“I am going home to my parents and lighting as many firecrackers in my backyard as I can get my hands on,” he quipped to E!. “The goal usually is to try not to burn the house down, but just toe the line.”

Meanwhile, Avantika emphasized that she’s ready to be “surrounded by good food, good music and good culture.”

The Mean Girls actress noted that Diwali also lights the way to focus on being more appreciative of the good in her life.

“It really invokes a spirit of gratitude for me throughout this time, which I’m also very grateful for,” she added. “I feel like on a day-to-day basis, just waking up with that feeling is the best way.” 

Follow the lights and keep reading to see how more celebs are celebrating Diwali.