First Asian Paints Royale, then “Godrej Khelo, Jeeto, Jiyo”, and now Rosebys. Soha Ali Khan has lately been associated with a lot of interiors and home-related endorsements. The actor was in the city recently as brand ambassador of Rosebys London.
Explaining her endorsement choices, she says: “I’m a new house owner. Whatever endorsements I’m doing, it should be something I connect to, something I would use. And, Rosebys is something particularly appealing to me.”
Rosebys has launched the city’s first flagship store on North Usman Road, T. Nagar. It’s the company’s 73rd in the country.
A women’s store
“The interiors segment in India is like the 1960s of America and the 1990s of China,” says Nikhil Sen, director, Rosebys Interiors India. “We’re looking to fill a gap in the market as opposed to creating a need. The high-end personalised designer segment as well as the budget segment are catered to. It’s the mid-level that cries for attention. We’re looking at providing quality products at affordable prices. Rosebys is subliminally a women’s store. And, we’re looking to make every Rosebys store look and feel exactly the same.”
Following the growing trend of fashion designers designing for interiors (remember Sabyasachi for Bombay Dyeing and Manish Malhotra for Influence?), Varun Bahl has also created a line for Rosebys.
While the store will begin by stocking home and bed linen – in themes Peony Garden, Eco Chic, Indulgence and Geo Retro – and home accessories, personal care products will arrive in a month.
In addition, Rosebys has tied up with Cholamandalam MS to provide free home insurance of Rs. 2.5 lakh to customers on a minimum purchase of Rs. 2,000.
As an introductory offer valid for a month, whoever walks into the store, irrespective of whether he or she makes a purchase, gets a free home insurance of Rs. 1 lakh, says Aloke Banerjee, CEO, Rosebys.
Back to Soha. Ask about her preferences when it comes to her own home – New Age black-white-steel minimalist or old world brocade-maroon-lace decadence – and Soha says: “I’m moody. So, the interiors keep changing. I like darkwood. The furniture doesn’t change, but I keep experimenting with the soft furnishings.”
Treading carefully
Soha’s been cautious about her film roles – from “Rang De Basanti” to “Khoya Khoya Chand” to “Mumbai Meri Jaan”, sometimes getting commercial success with critical acclaim, sometimes only the latter.
Future projects include “Tum Miley” with Emraan Hashmi, a “physically exhausting” but “complete masala” film by the Bhatts, set around the 2005 Mumbai floods; “Life Goes On”, a family drama with mother Sharmila Tagore, Naseeruddin Shah and Girish Karnad; and two horror films, of which “The Accident” is currently filming in Goa. “For some reason, I’ve been getting a lot of horror films, lately,” she grins.
Source: The Hindu
