Bina Ramani is a fashion designer, author, and entrepreneur. She pioneered India’s boutique culture, played a key role in shaping Delhi’s Hauz Khas Village, and was a key witness in the Jessica Lal case.

In this episode of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Bina Ramani recalls memories of the Kapoor family, including Raj Kapoor, and speaks about her romantic association with Shammi Kapoor. She also talks about her friendship with Rekha and her role in introducing her to Mukesh Agarwal.

Bina Ramani shares anecdotes from her interactions with Indira Gandhi, including gifting her jewellery. She also reflects on her encounters with global icons such as Jackie Onassis and Yoko Ono.

Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction

01:29 – Breaking Years of Silence

02:37 – 'Bird in a Banyan Tree' & the Night of 1999

08:02 – The Jessica Lal Murder Case

17:42 – Allegations of Evidence Tampering

21:31 – Tihar Jail and the Reopening of the Case

24:15 – How Fame Turned into Public Backlash

26:25 – Media Trial & ‘No One Killed Jessica’ Movie

28:49 – When Bollywood Sidelined Bina Ramani

31:17 – Life Inside Tihar Jail

36:44 – Ram Jethmalani and the Turning Point

44:43 – The End of ‘Page 3’ Culture

49:52 – Early Life & Raj Kapoor

56:28 – Relationship with Shammi Kapoor

01:06:16 – Why Shammi Kapoor Lived for His Audience

01:08:27 – Binatone: A Product Named After Bina Ramani

01:11:32 – Marriage, Affairs, and Turmoil

01:19:37 – Her Career with the Taj Group

01:22:12 – The Man Bina Ramani Connected with the Most

01:36:11 – Who Was Pamela Bordes?

01:44:06 – What Made Asha Puthli a Global Icon?

01:51:46 – Interviewing Indira Gandhi

01:58:24 – Chandraswami and Spiritual Scams

02:08:06 – Money Laundering and the FBI Probe

02:13:28 – Rekha’s Marriage to Mukesh Agarwal

02:23:06 – What Led to Mukesh Agarwal’s Suicide?

02:26:56 – Battling Cancer and Finding ‘Malabar Secrets’