By News18,Yatamanyu Narain

Copyright news18

Ameesha Patel has never shied away from speaking about her privileged background, her love for luxury, and the way her family shaped her tastes. Belonging to an affluent South Bombay household, the actor was exposed to a world of elegance and high fashion long before she made her blockbuster debut with Kaho Naa… Pyaar Hai.
A couple of months ago, in Farah Khan’s vlog, she had made headlines by revealing that she owns nearly 400 designer bags, including exclusive Birkins, Diors, and Hermès pieces, collectively worth crores. Ameesha even joked that had she not indulged in this passion, she “could have bought a penthouse in Mumbai.” Now, in a new interview, she has revisited her obsession with luxury bags, recalling that her fascination with fashion began much earlier than people imagine.
“Even my school bag was designer”
Speaking to Zoom, Ameesha shared that her collection is a result of both passion and hard work. “The point is you work hard and then you make that choice of where you want to spend your hard-earned money. It’s your decision, your will, at the end of the day. I don’t judge people on how they want to live their lives at all. This has been a passion not now,” she said.
She went on to recall how luxury was ingrained in her upbringing. “When I was just a school girl, my bagpack to school was a designer bag, so it’s not something new to me. I travelled the world at a very young age. I have been blessed enough because the family is spread out everywhere. From my mother to aunts, I have seen them carry the choices of bags that you won’t even get to see today in the stores. They were so beautiful and limited edition at that time.”
Family values of elegance and pride
Ameesha also credited the women in her family for shaping her eye for luxury and style. “The ladies took pride in being elegant. Even my late grandmother, who was the closest to me, changed her saree thrice a day, even while being at home. They pride themselves in being well turned out. Everyone has something they are fond of. I am not here to judge someone’s car or bike collection, everyone has something that they love and don’t mind spending on. For me, it’s my bag.”
She added that she was a step ahead of the trend curve even in her early years. “I had the knowledge and I used them from a very young age, when most people couldn’t pronounce the brands in India and were unaware. I have people coming and telling me that the kind of clothes and bags you have, we only see them in magazines. I don’t do it to show people. I know my bag has to be tip top, even if I don’t leave the house for two days.”
“Money was never the nucleus”
Interestingly, Ameesha also admitted that despite being born into privilege, wealth was never her focus when she entered Bollywood. “They say that your good work should be your nucleus, everything will follow in the periphery to complete you. I have always believed in that. A sound financial backing is something I have seen for generations in my family. But, they were never arrogant about where they came from or where they lived.”
She concluded by reflecting on her family’s work culture. “I have family all over the world – Paris, London, Dubai, my entire cousins, uncles and aunts are spread everywhere. And by the grace of God, they are all well established and very well settled. People in our family believe in hard work. The elders in my family still go to the office when they are 80 years old. Come hail, rain, sunshine, storm, even when they are sick, they make a point to go to the office. That’s the kind of work culture I’ve seen.”
On the work front
The Gadar 2 actor is currently preparing for Gadar 3 and is also set to star in an untitled period-action drama set in 1945, further cementing her comeback into mainstream cinema.