Shanelle Irani

Some Lesser Known Facts About Shanelle Irani

• Shanelle Irani is an Indian advocate.  She is Zubin Irani‘s daughter from his first wife, Mona Irani.

• Shanelle’s father, Zubin Irani, holds the position of director in various companies like Tripta Technologies Private Limited, Navanita Foods & Dairy Private Limited, Anchorage Solutions Private Limited, Ugraya Agro Farms Private Limited, Villanix Realtors & Hospitality Private Limited, and Ugraya Mercantile Private Limited.

• Shanelle’s step- maternal-grandmother, Shibani Bagchi, served as an ex-member of the Indian right-wing political party Bharatiya Jana Sangh, which was the political arm of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

• Shanelle’s mother, Mona Irani, at the beginning of her career, worked as a model coordinator for various popular Bollywood films like Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Mohabbatein (2000), Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001), and Dhoom (2004). She launched her own casting agency, Mona Irani Casting Agency in 2006 in Mumbai.

• In 2001, after getting divorced from his first wife Mona Irani, Zubin Irani got married to the Indian politician Smriti Irani.

• During her school days at Bai Avabai Framji Petit Girls High School, Shanelle served as a student council member (2003-2004), vice house captain (2003-2004), and house captain (2004-2005).

• She was a good debater during her school days. In 2005, Shanelle won the regional round of the British Council debate competition. In the same year, she emerged as the runner-up at the national level of the British Council debate competition.

  

• While studying at Narsee Monjee College of Commerce and Economics in 2005, Shanelle took part in a youth conference, which was organized by a youth organisation, Indian International Model United Nations (IIMUN).

• In 2006, Shanelle was appointed as the head of administration of The Indian Youth Conclave (TIYC). The same year, she participated in a conference organised by the Ecole Mondiale Model United Nations.

• Shanelle’s husband, Arjun Bhalla, is a Canada-based lawyer, who works at a law firm in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

• Shanelle, while pursuing her graduation at the Government Law College in Mumbai, was appointed as a secretary coordinator to the Moot Court Association in June 2008. The following year, she was promoted to the assistant general secretary of the Moot Court Association. In addition to this, Shanelle served as a member of a few committees like the Student Council, the Co-ordinating Committee, and the Alumni Association.

• Shanelle, in June 2009, was appointed as a judicial clerk to assist the Indian judge A. S. Oka, who was elevated to judge of the Supreme Court of India on 26 August 2021, and she served as a judicial clerk for two months till July 2009.

• In June 2010, Shanelle was appointed as an intern at Hariani & Company in Mumbai, where she served till March 2011.

• Shanelle was appointed as a trainee solicitor at a law firm in Mumbai, Wadia Ghandy & Company, in June 2011, and she served the organisation for three years till May 2014.

• In 2012, she enrolled as an advocate with the Bar Council of Maharashtra and Goa.

• During her college days at the Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, Shanelle served as a member of a few societies like the Alumni Liaison, Georgetown International Arbitration Society (GIAS), Georgetown Society of International Law (GSIL), and Foreign Lawyers at Georgetown (FLAG).

• Shanelle’s stepmother, Smriti Irani, a member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, serves as the MP from Amethi. On 26 May 2014, she was appointed as the Human Resource Development Minister in Narendra Modi‘s cabinet, which made her the youngest cabinet minister at that time. ^[4]The Print

• After working as a trainee solicitor at Wadia Ghandy & Company, Shanelle assisted the Additional Solicitor General of India as a counsel from September 2014 to May 2015.

• In January 2016, she joined as a legal extern at a  law firm in Washington, D.C., Foley Hoag LLP, where she served till April 2016. From September 2016 to March 2017, Shanelle worked at Kelley Drye & Warren LLP, a law, as an intern.

• In August 2017, she worked as an ‘International Arbitration Intern’ with the firm ‘Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr LLP,’ also known as WilmerHale, in London.

• It was Shah Rukh Khan who named her ‘Shanelle’ as he is a childhood friend of Shanelle’s father Zubin. On 7 May 2017, Shah Rukh Khan shared an Instagram post, where he revealed that he named her ‘Shanelle.’

• In July 2017, Shanelle enrolled as an attorney with the New York State Bar.

• From April 2018 to October 2019, Shanelle worked as an associate at Al Tamimi & Company, a corporate law firm in Dubai.

• In November 2019, Shanelle was appointed again at the law firm WilmerHale, and she was promoted to senior associate in January 2022. ^[5]LinkedIn

• On 25 December 2021, the Indian politician and television actor Smriti Irani shared a post on her Instagram account in which she announced Arjun and Shanelle’s engagement. In the caption, Smriti wrote,
  

  To the man who now has our heart @arjun_bhalla welcome to our madcap family .. bless you for you have to deal with a crazy man for a father in law and worse .. me for a Saas (you have been officially warned) God bless.”

  

• She is a dog lover.

• In an interview, Shanelle talked about her interest in exploring new places and stated that one of her favourite travel destinations is the United States of America (USA).

• She is fluent in various languages such as English, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, and French.

• Shanelle is occasionally spotted consuming alcoholic beverages at various parties and events.