From long-time besties to colleagues-turned-friends: Celebrities and their confidants

Big names talk about bonds and the people who always have their back.

Abu Jani
Fashion designer
“Friendship is everything to me. It is the foundation of joy. We [he and partner Sandeep Khosla] are blessed to have met most of our friends through our work. And these are bonds we cherish. Whether it is Jaya Bachchan, Dimple Kapadia or Amrita Singh, as the decades have passed the bonds have grown to include their children and even grandchildren. The key to friendship lies in unconditional love and respect. And a commitment to always stand by each other.”



Bill Dosanjh
Founder, Super Fight League
“Amir is a big asset to the sport of boxing. He understands what it takes and has great involvement. He is an active athlete and we both want to give back to boxing. We bond over it. From 2005-2010, I was in charge of the company managing Amir’s assets and promotions worldwide. My company launched Amir’s career in the US. Over the past decade, we have grown as businessmen, people who love combat sport, and friends. We bring out the best in each other and get along really well, which are facets that have developed over time.”



Riyaaz Amlani
Restaurateur
“I have been lucky to have been blessed with some great friends. Arshad Syed is one of my best friends and we have known each other since 1991. We went to colleges close by and now we even work together. He is a great support to me — the wind beneath my wings. We always make the time for fun, which includes playing poker every week — I obviously have the better poker face though (laughs). Arshad has been with me through ups and downs and he’s always been by my side and had faith in me.”



Saina Nehwal
Badminton player
“I was always travelling growing up so I don’t remember many of my friends. But I have made friends in badminton, many of them are my age — Gurusai Dutt, Tarun Kona, B Sai Praneeth, Parupalli Kashyap, Arun Vishnu and Arundhati Pantawane. We spend time together, go for movies, celebrate birthdays, go for lunch and dinner etc. We have grown as players together and become friends over the years. But my dog Chopsy is my best friend since 2012. He is my stress buster as I can share almost everything with him.”



Priti Gupta
MD, Anand Rathi Commodities Ltd
“The one best friend I have memories of from childhood is my mother, Suman. She was a young mother and we were 19 years apart in age. As the years went by, we went from being motherdaughter to friends, sounding board, advisors and, on occasion, secret keepers. We would argue, not talk for hours or sometimes days and then make up just like friends do. I have memories of sitting in our balcony and chatting late into the night. Good news, sad news, worries and wins, she was the first person I would call. I lost her seven years back. Not a day goes by without visiting our memories and today I value her qualities even more.”.