Newest Tentpole Celebration Honors the Cultural Contributions of the South Asian Diaspora with New Launches
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / October 30, 2026 / Gold House, the Asian Pacific cultural institution shaping global opportunity and dedicated to supporting and celebrating the accomplishments of the Asian Pacific community, commemorated the annual Festival of Lights tradition at its largest Gold Diwali event in Los Angeles, held yesterday, October 29, at The Majestic Downtown. Honoring the rich heritage, achievements and influence of people of South Asian descent around the world, the vibrant cultural event featured the most prominent Asian Pacific voices including local and national CEOs, creators, and community members who gathered in celebration of the upcoming Diwali holiday on November 8.
"Diwali is a celebration of light, community and connection, and we wanted to bring that spirit to our Gold Diwali while honoring how culture shapes who we are and the possibilities we create," said Bing Chen, Executive Chairman and CEO of Gold House.
The evening began with the stars and filmmakers of the history-making Ramayana: Rise of a Legend (Ranbir Kapoor, Yash, Nitesh Tiwari, Namit Malhotra), a week ahead of the historic release of the biggest India-created film in history. Gold House announced their new initiatives including:
- Gold Stack Shorts Fund, launched in partnership with South Stack Studios to champion proof-of-concept short films or micro-series that bring compelling stories from the South Asian community to life. Applications open today and will be accepted through November 30, with final selections announced January 10, ahead of the Sundance Film Festival.
- Debut of a one-of-a-kind, hand-painted carrom board designed by celebrated Indian luxury designer Anita Dongre, in collaboration with Gold House, which reimagines a fixture of South Asian family rooms as a modern cultural artifact. Also featured was the limited-edition Cuyana x Gold House Marigold Charm, launched earlier this month, designed to provide wearers with an everyday touch of home and culture.
The evening was co-hosted by leaders across entertainment, media, fashion, and business, including: Tan France, Freida Pinto, Avantika, Dhar Mann, Priyanka Kedia, Sarayu Blue, Abhijay Prakash (President, Blumhouse), Anita and Yash Dongre (luxury fashion designer), Rohini Iyer (Entrepreneur), Kabir Ahuja (Global Head of TMT and Consumer Technology, McKinsey), Manish Chandra (Chairman, Poshmark), Anita Chatterjee (founder of A-Game PR), Anita Verma-Lallian (founder of Camelback Productions), Neerja Patel (founder of Neerja PR), Rajiv Menon (founder of Rajiv Menon Contemporary Gallery), Rhea Raj and the Raj Family, Rohan Shah (founder of Extend), and South Stack Studios.
Attendees included the stars and executive producer of Avatar: Seven Havens (Saheli Khan, Aishu Devan, and Sehaj Sethi), Anand Desai-Barochia, Asif Ali, Avani Gregg, Claudia Lyon, Hannah Simone, Janina Gavankar, Manish Dayal, Michelle Khare, Naisha Bhargabi, Nisha Ganatra, Prakash Janakiraman, Ramisha Sattar, Richa Moorjani, Saagar Shaikh, Sam Yam, Sanjay Sharma, Sanya Malhotra, Shalini Govil-Pai, Shreya Navile, Viral Patel, and others.
Guests were immersed in spectacular decorations; traditional Diwali customs; and an array of experiences bringing culture to life, including a South Asian menu by Rasoi Catering highlighting regional delicacies, an interactive Carrom Game Lounge, and music from DJ MissNINJA in tandem with a live tabla performance by KVS Tabla, who brings Indian percussion to the forefront by blending tabla with electronic music and other genres, offering a modern twist on the traditional instrument.
Throughout the evening, guests enjoyed a celebratory DJ and dance-floor experience spotlighting the upcoming movie Ramayana: Rise of a Legend, based on the celebrated ancient epic known to billions, which releases worldwide in time for Diwali on November 5. Guests also experienced an exclusive jewelry experience provided by Bhindi Jewelers, and kept memories from the evening with a custom portrait moment, made possible by South Asian dating app Dil Mil and produced by The Lounge Booth. Additional support for the event came from official beverage partner Smartwater, Glance, McKinsey & Company, and Google's 100 Zeros.
"Gold Diwali is not just for the Festival of Lights. It's for the creators, founders, and true builders who know that shining, that overnight success, is decades in the making. We take for granted that the journey from gas to dust to protostar to star to supernova takes more than just a miracle-it takes time. That stars are born from a speck that literally expands then contracts under pressure then expands and contracts under its own gravity until it can do nothing else but explode and shine. Gold Diwali exists in that light: to shine on all of us, but more importantly, because we know what it took-and what was lost-to get here. We are excited to continue that light by investing in more South Asian stories with the Gold Stack Shorts Fund, modernized heritage artifacts that pronounce and personalize our culture like Anita Dongre's one-of-one carrom board, Cuyana's marigold charm, and the cross-industry and generational relationships that were sparked tonight," said Chen in his remarks during the evening.
Gold Diwali's showcase of the rich heritage of South Asia continues Gold House's commitment to bridging culture with mainstream audiences through experiences, entertainment, entrepreneurship and more. Together with the recent launch of its Diwali Cultural Guide, Gold House builds infrastructure through which Asian Pacific culture connects people.
Gold Diwali was produced by BMF Productions.
To learn more about Diwali, its cultural significance, traditions and customs, check out goldhouse.org/diwaliguide.
ABOUT GOLD HOUSE:
Gold House is the Asian Pacific cultural institution that shapes global opportunity. Operating with the heart of a nonprofit and the reach of a world-class enterprise, Gold House brings people together through cultural experiences, entertainment, and entrepreneurship. We believe culture is the foundation of opportunity: it shapes who we are, who we know, how we love, what we build, and what becomes possible. For more information, visit www.goldhouse.org or follow along on Instagram, YouTube, and TikTok.
Media Contact: press@goldhouse.org
SOURCE: Gold House
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https://www.accessnewswire.com/newsroom/en/publishing-and-media/gold-house-celebrates-the-festival-of-lights-with-largest-gold-diwali-1244327
