‘Bday’ log, badi batien

Several celebrities choose to gift themselves something special to celebrate their birthdays, instead of relying on others’

Celebrities... they know exactly what they want, and with money being no object, they have the means to get their hands on whatever they choose no matter how far-fetched. That’s perhaps what makes them who they are. On Sunday, when he turned 42, Hrithik Roshan set celeb watchers’ tongues wagging when he gifted himself a Rolls Royce and followed it up with a lavish, star-studded party to celebrate his birthday.

But the superstar is only the latest in a long list of celebs who’ve splurged on themselves, instead of waiting for a friend or family member to gift them something from their extravagant wishlists. Last year, Shraddha Kapoor got herself a Mercedes ML, while Parineeti Chopra bestowed a striking new Jaguar upon herself.

You know that pair of leggings at your favourite high street store you’ve been mulling over simply because you think it’s exorbitantly priced at a few thousand rupees Well, Beyonce shocked the world when she got herself a pair at a staggering $100,000 from luxury label Balenciaga. Crafted with genuine cashmere and actual metal, the gold hued leggings were later used by the singer while performing on stage. “Comfort is just so important,” she was quoted.

It should come as no surprise that Kim Kardashian too falls under the category of self- indulgent celebrities. From flooding our Instagram feeds with her selfies to tweets about every detail of her life, everything points to how self obsessed Kim really is. And you’d think the obscenely priced Birkin bag and diamond rings from hubby Kanye would be enough to keep her happy, but nothing is ever enough when you have more money than you know what to do with. And so, the voluptuous beauty got herself a 4325k Ferrari 458 Italia that she can drive around in style.

Kim Basinger, once a scorching sex symbol, bought herself a whole town in Georgia for $20 million, but was later forced to sell it to pay off other dues. However the most bizarre and unnecessary of them all will have to be Lady Gaga’s ghost detector worth $50,000, which she bought because she’s got a fear of the supernatural.

Brand expert, Harish Bijoor, shares that while it may look like splurging for the rest of us, for celebs, it’s just a fraction of their earnings. “When you have too much of money, it loses value. If you are earning big bucks, spending a meagre sum is practically nothing. For me, functionality is important. A pair of leggings must keep you warm and comfortable or a car must get you from point A to point B. But I know the richest of people who have the simplest possessions, and also the not-so-rich who have the most high-end gadgets and clothes. Different strokes for different folks, I guess,” he concludes.