There is this picture of the actor Deepika Padukone in Bengal tiger stripe couture sari, from the Cannes film festival, its designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee says there are several stories to tell. Like the fact that each stripe is block-printed and hand-embroidered with sequins, an example of our traditional craftsmanship can fit just as easily as her breasts amid high fashion on the French Riviera. . Or that chandelier earrings could easily blend Bengali heritage with gilded art deco mathapetti can imitate a contemporary crown.
As a jury member at this year’s festival, Padukone is no stranger to the cosmetic and cross-brand certifications with the international designers they claim. However, she has prioritized her role as a representative of modern India learning to recreate and reuse tradition but with a sense of its identity. That comfort is all the more apparent when she transcends the past with her simple nostalgic look in Mysore silk shirt with digitally printed vintage flora and pleated trousersSabyasachi’s again.
In the end, it looks like Padukone got into the role and prepared for the role with the same meticulousness as the characters she plays. No less French actress Shabana Azmi reminded us of that when she posted a picture of herself and co-star Smita Patil on Twitter. Cannes red carpet in 1976, without any hype or self-consciousness but still feeling comfortable in their skin and sari. This was the period when sari was an extension of who they were. Both were accompanied by director Shyam Benegal for their film Nishant. Azmi recalled that moment, writing, “At Cannes for #Nishant 1976. We had no brochures and no money, so #Shyam Benegal asked me and #Smita Patil to wear our best saris and Walk up and down the promenade to attract attention. And when people turn to stare at these strange-looking strange creatures, we’ll beg ‘Our movie’s playing like this someday, come see’ and they I managed a house! Such is the advertising acumen of #Shyam Benegal. ”
Shyam Benegal Smita Patil and I at Cannes 1976 with our film Nishant pic.twitter.com/1Bu5bRvUjB
– Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) February 11, 2016
Legendary actress Sharmila Tagore, who was a member of the jury at Cannes 2009, shows that you don’t need any embellishment or extra thought if you’re confident in your carriage and personality. In her signature personal style, reminiscent of the royals of yesteryear, Tagore has done her daytime shoots in the pearl and floral chiffon saris she is famous for, choosing traditional silk and jewelry suitable for dinner. As a jury, Vidya Balanalso followed in the footsteps of her predecessors in 2013, with a little help from Sabyasachi but keeping her at ease. She went traditional with an olive green silk sari and a burgundy full-sleeve blouse, bun, bindi and a bit of jewelry, completing her look. She even wore a red tulle saree and an equal elan shaped pearl necklace. The only thing “designer” about the actor and director Nandita Das, who presented her film Manto in 2017, was a golden zari sari by Anavila Misra, as she tied her hair into a regular bun and wore jhumkas to take effect. None of them really tame the sari in any way and easily adapt it to their story. They are not just mannequins, they have imbued the sari with their own personality.
Over the years, that “easy to wear” sari has given way to the “need to present” a sari and a classic cultural statement has been transformed into an adaptive and flexible global curtain that opens to explain. What Azmi calls Benegal acumen is virtually gone today as contemporary icons fulfill their brand commitments and desperately seek French approval to carry out their couture. them with an Asian flair. Contrast the vibrant black Dolce gown with flowers or the shocking pink Valentino suit Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wears makeup as part of her beauty brand commitment. Drama, yes. If fashion is a statement, she made it. However, she looked absolutely “worthy” when she debuted at Cannes in 2002 for the premiere of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s film. Devdas in a Neeta Lulla sari or turn heads in 2010 in a gorgeous Sabyasachi embroidered tunic.
Indian celebrities often appear in sari at Cannes
That same year, Padukone walked down the red carpet in her first sari, an elegant gold and ivory work by Rohit Bal, a blazer and a sleek slicked back bun that set her apart from her peers. . Actress Sonam Kapoor broke with the classics in 2013, when she wore a vintage-inspired white and gold sari paired with an Anamika Khanna jacket, topped with a large nose ring. The following year, she opted for a salmon pink cape sari and a necklace around her neck. Kangana continued this experiment in 2019, when she turned heads with a gold Kanjeevaram silk saree and strapless top from Madhurya, outfitted herself with a custom Falguni and Shane Peacock corset belt and wine red opera gloves .
Her globally responsive Indian chic look also ties in with what fashion king Alexander McQueen and French designer Jean Paul Gaultier have been doing for a while, adapting saris into a gown or skirt and splurge on their collections with Indian motifs, intricate embroidery and handcrafted plaques. As designer Anju Modi, who prepared the female protagonists of director Sanjay Leela Bhansali and styled Alia Bhatt, said, “The ao dai has been taken to a completely different level from the sari that is in one person’s collection or another. The polarization of India and the West has dissolved and the sari has, therefore, been reinterpreted in many ways. It needs to make a definitive statement at every outing on the global stage, based on its iconic appeal. But we must remember that our tradition of craftsmanship lives on with us and we need to show it in whatever we choose to wear. It just melts into the global darkness. If anything, a sari, not just an identity statement, is your own signature fashion statement. “
She is full of praise for young Alia Bhatt for her appearance in a sari during her movie promotion. Gangubai Kathiawadi, especially the white sari she chose for the movie premiere in Berlin. Modi wishes that more celebrities can adapt to India of their choice. With our series of celebrity and star outings in every Western label, from Elie Saab to Dior, it’s not hard to understand our designers’ anxiety. Is it the need to “see” Indians globally, or to conform to established standards of luxury rather than forge one’s own path? “It would be easy to blame it all on colonial thinking. But you have to see how the market determines the choices of our younger stars. It is possible that they themselves wear so many foreign brands that they are not looking for Indian clothing. The idea of their glamor originates from western clothing, with the exception of producers like Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who always insist on sari for international promotion. It is possible that more filmmakers will encourage such outings and change the market dynamics that are pressuring these girls to become international faces. Until we change that mindset and most importantly, we are comfortable with who we are and what we stand for, we cannot bring India up our sleeve.”
A thought supported by designer Ritu Beri, who appeared in Cannes in 2000 in a matching sari and lehenga jacket combo. She said: “The Cannes red carpet is a platform to show the world what they have never seen, a modern India steeped in tradition and know how to renew it. If we really want to break the mold, it’s not just sari, we need to paint on our crafts. They should be our natural choice. So our stars need to use this platform in a creative, selective and fun way. It’s an opportunity to project like no other.”
Couturier Tarun Tahiliani, who has just introduced his global India collection with modern cuts, unusual textures and intricate detailing of prints with zari and reshamHowever, felt that there was too much fuss about showing Indian fashion on the Cannes red carpet. “Ultimately, it’s a festival to showcase movies and it’s difficult to gauge the impact of individual fashion statements. So as a designer, I do my own thing. But whether it’s a traditional or an experimental sari, people have to feel comfortable with what they’re wearing.” Because that shows above everything else. Can we claim ownership of the sari, show it off and make it India’s most precious gem on the Riviera instead of just limiting it to another photocall?
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