‘Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives’: Who studied abroad?

Fans of “Fabulous Lives of Bollywood Wives” were overjoyed as the reality show aired its second season after an almost two-year wait. 

The binge-worthy show follows the personal and professional lives of four fabulous women, Neelam Kothari, Maheep Kapoor, Bhavna Pandey and Seema Kiran Sajdeh. These women are the wives of well-known Bollywood actors Samir Soni, Sanjay Kapoor, Chunky Pandey and Sohail Khan. 

From their designer handbags to glamorous outfits, these women have the audience hooked as we follow their daily lives filled with excitement and drama (mostly the latter).  

However, these women are more than the extravagant and expensive items they don. From acting to fashion design, they have skills and expertise beyond just great looks. They are extraordinary in their own right, as their education show:

Neelam Kothari married famous Bollywood actor Samir Soni in 2011. Source: AFP

Neelam Kothari 

Neelam Kothari has a background in acting and jewellery design. The former actress was discovered while on holiday in Mumbai. Approached by director Ramesh Behl, she decided to give acting a shot. 

Her passion, however, remained with jewellery design. Kothari’s family was in the traditional jewellery-making business, sparking her interest from a young age. She would later take a formal course in jewellery designing in Mumbai and start “Neelam Jewels.”

Although she is now based in Mumbai, Kothari was actually not born in India. The Gujarati Iranian mix was born in Hong Kong where she spent most of her early years. Neelam completed her schooling years in Hong Kong before moving to Bangkok with her family.

In Hong Kong, Kothari attended Island School. It was established in 1967 as the first secondary school of the English Schools Foundation – Hong Kong’s largest English-medium organisation of international schools. The diverse school started off in a British military hospital before permanently settling at 20 Borrett Road, Mid-Levels.

Catered for students from years seven to 13, this co-educational school takes a different approach to education. Teachers at Island School act as role models to show their students how to solve problems, form questions and think creatively to prepare students to be leaders. 

Fashion designing courses equip students with the knowledge and skills to take on the fashion industry. Source: Jamie McCarthy/AFP

Maheep Kapoor

Maheep Kapoor is known for more than just being Sanjay Kapoor’s wide. This fabulous wife is also a well-known jewellery designer. 

Although born in Australia, Kapoor attended school in Mumbai before returning Down Under to complete a fashion design course. 

Kapoor began her journey as a jewellery designer by making jewellery for her friends and family. She then started making pieces for brands like Satyani Fine Jewels, before going on to create jewellery for several successful movies such as “Om Shaanti Om” and “Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna.”

The exact university where Kapoor completed her fashion design course is not known. But if you are keen on following in her footsteps here are some top-ranked fashion designing programme in Australia:

Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT)

The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) School of Fashion and Textiles is ranked number one in Australia, according to the QS World University Rankings by Study Area in 2022.

At RMIT, students have a shot at showcasing their skills at national and international exhibitions. This includes Melbourne Fashion Week Student Collections Runway, Graduate Fashion Week London International Catwalk and Design Institute of Australia Graduate of the Year Award. 

Graduates of RMIT’s art and design programme have gone on to have successful careers in the fashion industry. Jessica Gregory, for example, was the winner of the Design Institute of Australia 2018 Australian Graduate of The Year Award (AGOTYA).

University of Technology Sydney (UTS)

University of Technology Sydney, established in 1833, is often ranked as one of the top 50 universities in the world. It is 62nd in the world for graduate employability according to the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022. 

UTS’s Bachelor of Design in Fashion and Textiles prepares students to become leaders in the fashion industry. Its curriculum focuses on innovation, experimentation, individual expression and the future of fashion. 

Students have many opportunities to work on real-life projects with top-tier brands like Swarvoski, Think Positive and Australian Wool Innovation. Many students have gone on to be employed by designers such as Alexander McQueen, Kenzo and Abercrombie and Fitch.