It was an evening when the best talent in the Hindi and Marathi film industries was celebrated with a series of scintillating performances. The 18th Annual Colors Screen Awards, held on Saturday evening at MMRDA grounds in Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex, also set the ball rolling for the awards season which means numerous red carpet appearances for celebs. Their looks are hardly episodic trysts with a fashionable wardrobe and smart stylists and actually take weeks of planning and fittings.
While Madhuri Dixit wore a stunning red gown with diamante jewellery; Deepika Padukone sizzled in a long, sea green Gauri and Nainika outfit with tapered wrist-length sleeves and a plunging back that showed off her slender waistline. Anushka Sharma wowed the crowd not only with her passionate dancing but also when she slipped into a burgundy Bibhu Mohapatra gown for the latter part of the evening. Newcomer Amy Jackson chose a Namrata Joshipura dress for the occasion even as Kalki Koechlin stuck to an ensemble by her regular designer Preeti S Kapoor accessorised by a trendily, messy hairdo.
However, the gown alone didn’t rule the red carpet; saris and Anarkalis strode with power and glamour too. Vidya Balan looked resplendent in a black and gold Kanjeevaram sari and so did Priyanka Chopra who wore a slinky, embellished georgette sari in a warm butter colour with maroon edgings by Manish Malhotra. Dia Mirza opted for a white and gold Ritu Kumar Anarkali with heavy, ethnic earrings while Sonali Bendre-Behl turned up in a royal blue Abu-Sandeep drape. The men weren’t far behind in making an equally impressive red carpet appearance. While Shah Rukh Khan walked in an all-black suit and a finely tailored midnight blue shirt; Ranbir Kapoor looked dapper in a muted deep maroon open collar Jodhpuri jacket.
Given that this is just the beginning of the awards season — when red-carpet dressing comes under closer scrutiny — it’s the busiest time of the year for celebrity stylists as well. No one knows that better than Tanya Ghavri, who styles for the likes of Sonam Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez and more recently Kareena Kapoor. Not many can forget Sonam’s conical bra dress by Jean Paul Gaultier that she wore for the Dubai premiere of her latest film. “Sonam is clued in, open to experimentation and concept driven. She usually has a particular decade in mind and we work towards the look from there,” says Ghavri.
Nisha Kundnani, stylist for Anushka Sharma, says that she usually asks for Anushka’s event calendar in advance so she can plan. “We can’t hold onto an outfit for long as it’s needed by brand for other promotions,” she adds explaining why decisions have to be precise.
Not surprisingly, this is also the time when the luxury brands vie against each other to dress top stars. Around the world, the most coveted accessory and fashion brands swag stylists to influence celebs. But Kalyani Saha, VP, Marketing and Communication, Christian Dior Couture India, notes that it’s the other way round in India and stylists call brands for the star’s appearance. Saha often makes suggestions depending on the celeb’s personality, and style sensibility. “More importantly, we adhere to our policy of giving out only press samples and allowing only those alterations that can be discreetly undone,” she emphasises.
Designer cum stylist Rajat Tangri, responsible for Kangana Ranaut’s red-carpet avatars has a simple formula. “For Kangana, Hollywood vintage glam is the safest bet. The Chantilly lace gown that she wore to an awards do last year won her rave reviews. So I plan to design an old ’50s glam dress for her,” he says.
