Orry lets us in on the birthday video that took over Bollywood—and how he got every celeb to say yes

Who is Orry? Ask anyone in Bollywood’s glittering inner circle, and the answer might depend on the day, the selfie, or the storyline. Enigma, entertainer, eternal plus-one—Orhan Awatramani is all of it, and then some. He’s the man behind the memes and the muse behind the moment. The best friend of every nepo baby, and the mystery everyone loves to decode.

Over the years, he’s become a fixture in the front row and a mainstay in celebrity stories. But Orry isn’t just adjacent to fame; he’s carved out a unique kind of celebrity that exists entirely on his own terms.

So when it came time to celebrate his 30th birthday, of course, he did it the Orry way: with a star-studded video tribute featuring Bollywood’s finest, a heavy dose of drama, and a whole lot of sparkle. Was it over the top? Naturally. Was it iconic? Undeniably.

Here, Orry gives us the full download on the birthday video that broke the internet, what it takes to pull off the party of the year, and why being Orry is a full-time state of mind.

Cosmopolitan India: Be honest, did you send calendar invites, or was it pure Orry magic that got celebs to wish you?

Orry: To be very honest, yes, invites were sent. I personally called every single person who participated in the video. I had a calendar, a list of names, and a script with everyone's lines chalked out. I explained exactly what I wanted from each person. I even spent an hour on the phone with each of them, giving them that importance.

Some people changed their lines. I think only four didn’t participate. I felt a little bad, but honestly, it was fine. They weren’t needed. The video was a success—and really, it was their loss.

Calendar invites were sent out two and a half months in advance, with regular reminders. I was pinging people constantly, because even though it’s such a simple ask, birthday videos somehow take forever to get done. You have to nag, follow up. But I was actually surprised—I didn’t have to chase anyone too hard. Everyone told me when they’d send it, and they stuck to it.

The last one to send it in was Suhana Khan. She said, “Orry, I’ll send mine on the 16th.” And literally, as the sun set on the 16th, the video came in—no second or third reminder. I was so proud.

All my friends did it. No one complained. Some even redid their videos because they wanted to give a better shot, or do it when they had hair and makeup on. It was really well thought-out and planned.

I’d actually planned this years ago, because Kris Jenner did a similar video for her 30th birthday. I always knew I’d recreate it for mine. So while the idea had been in the works for years, the execution—calls, invites, messages—all went out two and a half months in advance.

CI: Do you think social media has changed the way we celebrate milestones like birthdays, especially in public view?

O: Of course, social media has changed the way we celebrate birthdays. These days, everyone’s re-posting the stories people tag them in, and honestly, I find all that a bit tacky. I don’t do that. Sure, I’ll post a story for a friend, but I don’t care if they re-post it or not.

And on my own birthday, I don’t re-share any of that. I just find it strange—what are you trying to show people? That a lot of people wished you? It’s weird. Social media has kind of corrupted birthdays.

But what I did? That was different. That was cool. No one else in India has done something like that.

You’re not going to see anyone else bring people together the way I did, to create a proper piece of entertainment. It wasn’t a “look how many celebs wished me” video. It was a piece of content. Like Lindsay Lohan said to me—I’m an entertainer. And the whole point of my birthday this year was to celebrate with the people I entertain: my followers and my friends.

I wasn’t throwing a big party, and I couldn’t invite everyone. So instead, I created something entertaining. That video was my way of celebrating with the people who follow me, who cheer me up, who motivate me when I’m down. I hate the word ‘fans’—to me, they’re followers. And for them, I brought together all those celebrities to make something special.

It wasn’t for me. I didn’t even host a screening of it at home. I wrote it, shot it, edited it, reshot it—it was all me. Right until sunset on my birthday, even while I was heading to Ibiza, I was working on it. I got random Hollywood people to be in it, paid them—not because I wanted a wish from Chad, Maria, or Amanda Bynes, but because I wanted that wow factor, that surprise element, for the audience.

At the end of the day, this was a content piece for my followers to enjoy. That’s how I celebrated my birthday—with them. It was never about me.

CI: Was there a particular wish that felt especially meaningful or unexpected for you this year?

O: A wish that felt especially meaningful—and a bit unexpected—this year was Katrina Kaif’s. Yes, all my friends wished me, and I’m so grateful to every one of them for coming together to do this. Not a single friend said no, and that made me really happy. But Katrina’s message stood out.

To be completely honest, while Katrina is always warm and friendly with me, we’re not the closest of friends—we’re not childhood friends or anything like that. Yet she’s a gem of a person.

When I reached out to her, I said, “Katrina, I’m putting together a birthday video, and it would mean a lot if you could send in a clip.” Her brand, K-Beauty, has always meant something personal to me. When it launched with the slogan “Kay to be you,” I was obsessed. When I left my first job, I gifted everyone K-Beauty products. You know how people usually give Cadbury? I gave K-Beauty and told all the girls, “K to be you.”

So, turning 30, I wanted that line in the video—something like, “Orry, it’s Kay to be you at any age.” I sent her the message, and she didn’t reply. I’ll admit—I felt a little bad. So I double-texted her with some emojis, just as a gentle nudge. She replied, saying, “Oh sorry Orry, I missed your message—when do you need it by?” And I told her, “Whenever you can, no rush—but I’d really appreciate it.”

Again, she read it and didn’t reply. I was so sad. But 24 hours later—boom—she sent the video! She did the line, she did the cameo. And that’s what I call a real cameo. She didn’t owe it to me. I haven’t done anything for her, and we’re not close in a way that she had to say yes.

That’s what made it so special. It wasn’t something I could have expected. Everyone else in the video are my closest friends—we’ve grown up together. But for Kat to do that for me... it really, really meant a lot.

CI: If someone wanted to replicate your birthday wish roster, what’s the Orry playbook they need to follow?

O: If someone wanted to replicate my birthday wish roster, they’d probably need the best AI out there—because no one else could pull this off. And the people who did it for me? They wouldn’t do it for anyone else. Mind you, I only asked my friends. So if you want to recreate that video, you'd have to actually be friends with everyone in it. I didn’t call in favours or rope in random celebs I don’t know.

Everyone in that video is someone I share a real connection with—whether it’s a bond, a fun memory, or just genuine affection. I don’t know anyone who’s friends with all the people I’m friends with, and I don’t think it’s even possible. The love and effort in that video—the lines, the transitions, the energy—was one of a kind. The formula to be Orry doesn’t exist. The Special O is the Special O. It can’t be replicated. At best, you could be the discounted version.

CI: Final question—who gave the best wish and who just phoned it in (literally)?

O: Everyone wrote such lovely messages for my 30th—it was a big birthday. But the best wish that stuck with me was from Janvi Kapoor. She messaged, “Orry, I wish you all the controversies the world has to offer.” And I thought, that’s exactly what I want at 30! I told her, “Thank you! Nail on the hammer. Please, more controversy to come.” That was definitely my favourite birthday wish. After all, you can’t spell controversy without Orry.

Orry lets us in on the birthday video that took over Bollywood—and how he got every celeb to say yes

From personal calls to calendar invites, Orhan Awatramani spills the secrets behind his viral 30th birthday tribute and why it was more than just a celeb shoutout.

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