My most extravagant purchase

Celebs tell us about how they indulged themselves in the year gone by.

Harish Bijoor
brand-domain specialist & CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults INC

Normally, all my shirts and trousers are bought by my wife, mother, sister, brother-in-law and close friends. My style of dressing is eclectic, as I need to match these diverse sets of tastes and turn up at meetings looking sane! This year, I tried shopping for myself, which I believe is an extravagance.

Remember, I grew up in times when thrift was a noble trait. I also bought an OSIM i-squeez foot massager that works with fuzzy logic. It is a hassle-free machine with easy interface and a great buy at Rs 10,600. It feels good to sink my feet into the recesses of this miracle machine. I spend a minimum 15 minutes everyday massaging my feet and it's sheer luxury.

Rakshanda Khan
Actor

Four years ago, my dream of acquiring my own home came true. Two years ago, I bought myself a fancy car. At the beginning of 2006, I dreamt of buying some extravagant jewellery. By the end of 2006, the dream has come true.

I had checked out this gorgeous set of diamonds and emeralds at a designer store in Mumbai. I finally purchased it a few months ago. Though it came attached with a steep price, I think what really gave me a high was the fact that I had earned it with my own hard-earned money.

Shaan
Singer

One of my most risky yet timely and, of course, extravagant purchases was investing in my own house. Actually I already have my own place in Bandra, but when my neighbour decided to move out and sell the apartment, I decided to buy it. It was risky because it meant a lot of money going away from our pockets in one go.

But, in retrospect, I think I made a wise choice. Having acquired the house, our hall has extended and three more bedrooms have been added. Since I am a family man and my children are growing up, it made sense to buy the house. Besides, the prices here have also escalated so it was the ideal move made at the right time.

Jaspreet Bindra
Country Manager, MSN India

I bought a Bose Cinemate home theatre system to watch the Football World Cup in style. Although I had to shell out Rs 40,000, it was worth it since the home theatre delivers an excellent surround sound system which is noticeable while watching DVDs or ordinary television.

The unit is sleek, with two front speakers and a hideaway Acoustimass module that brings movies and music to life with quick connections. A universal infrared remote controls the system and devices attached to the television, making life simpler. Next on my list is an LCD panel that will do justice to my home theatre system. A 46-inch panel will cost me over Rs 1 lakh but this tops my 2007 wish list.

Shiv Kapur
Professional Golfer

I bought my first house in 2006 and it doesn't get more extravagant than that. The house is in Delhi's Maharani Bagh locality and I am in the process of designing it. I can safely say that it is not only the most extravagant purchase of this year, but of my life too.

Homi Adajania
Film Director

By no stretch of imagination did I purchase anything extravagant for myself. I don't like shopping. However, the most "extravagant experience" for me was the making of my film, Being Cyrus.

Ehsaan Noorani
Music Director

My most extravagant purchase in 2006 was my 17th guitar. It's a Parker Fly, a gorgeous burgundy beauty with an incredible sound. I got it ordered especially from London and it was shipped and delivered to me.

It is obviously very expensive but as a musician, it gives me immense pleasure to see my growing collection of guitars. I have played my Parker Fly for some concerts, but it is yet to enter the recording studios for films.

Simran Kohli
Radio Jockey

I HAVE invested Rs 4.5 lakh in state-of-the-art broadcasting software for my radio academy. It has been developed by an American company and will be leased to me for 18 months. It is for the first time that anyone in the broadcasting field in India will be using this software.

My other extravagant purchase has been a diamond set that I bought for Rs 2.5 lakh. It is beautiful and through Business Standard, my husband will finally learn of this purchase.

I had selected a white-gold combination dress for new year's eve and wanted elegant jewellery to go with it. I saw this set at a mall and purchased it. Certainly very extravagant, especially because I don't usually spend money on myself.