Gauri Khan calls Dubai penthouse project 'so personal' at Shahrukhz Residences launch

Detailed summary

Karan Johar introduced the designer at Coca-Cola Arena, where Shah Rukh Khan is set to take the stage later tonight ...

With her family cheering her on from the audience, Gauri Khan took the stage at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena on November 11 to talk about the penthouses she designed for Shahrukhz Residences, Danube’s new waterfront tower named after Shah Rukh Khan.

Filmmaker Karan Johar, who's hosting the launch, introduced Gauri alongside Adel Sajan. Having seen the project on the arena’s giant screen, Johar called the unveiling her “big cinema moment” before asking what it felt like to see it all come together.

“It’s so personal. It really is,” Gauri said. “We put so much of our heart and soul in it together.”

She spoke about what it meant for her India-based team to see its work showcased on a global stage in Dubai. “I think that’s what is also making it unique and different for us as a team in India,” she said.

Johar, who has known Gauri for years, pointed out her mother and other family members in the audience. He said she usually prefers to stay behind the scenes, describing her as “the strong pillar standing right next to me”.

Adel said the idea to bring Gauri on board came from his father, Rizwan Sajan. He recalled wondering how the collaboration would work given the project’s tight design timeline.

“It has been an absolute, absolute breeze,” he said of working with Gauri. “She has been involved in every single Zoom meeting.”

Her involvement, he said, extended from selecting materials to deciding how the corners of the penthouses should look. “Every single thing that you’re going to be seeing in the penthouse over here is her vision, her dream,” he said.

Shah Rukh is expected to make his appearance later in the evening. The launch programme also includes live performances, an awards ceremony and what organisers billed as a “cinematic unveiling” of the development.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Khaleej Times. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.