The Indian six yards for a long time did not make it to the red (or green) carpet of glamorous film events. Only Rekha always carried the Indian look more than perfectly in her gorgeous Kanjeevarams. After the introduction of evening gowns and more than a couple of faux paus by Indian actors on the international red carpets, Deepika and Nandita Das finally walked the carpet in the Indian six yards and attracted a lot of ‘good' attention.
Was that the big sari awakening moment for our stars? “Nothing can beat the look of a sari. It is the most elegant piece of dress. My all time mantra: when in doubt, wear a sari or wear black. We can't go wrong in a sari ever for any big fashion or awards function. The reason why actors are preferring a sari over western outfits is the constant debate that actors are subjected to about their wrong choice of dress. I am not sure if the sari has made a comeback but I can definitely say that only saris give the classic look,” says designer Rina Dhaka.
According to Rina nobody so far has nailed the sari look as elegantly as yesteryear actor Zeenat Aman in Roti, kapda aur makan . “Nobody can latch that hot sexy look like her,” adds Rina.
Looks like actors too wait for the trend to roll. That Vidya Balan idolises actor Rekha is no secret but claims she “isn't copying her.” Like Rekha, Vidya too turns up wearing saris for most functions and filmi events and hasn't so far been criticised by the media for her immaculate Indian look. Of late things seem to have changed with Deepika Padukone sashaying the red carpet for her first Cannes appearance in a stunning white and gold Rohit Bal creation.
According to designers, the sari has made a comeback in a big way in the fashion circuit and is being draped by celebrities at fashion dos and on the ramp.
Designer Asmita Gunti Marwah who includes a sari in most of her collections, says that her show stopper was a sari for the Lakme fashion week. She says, “I am glad people are getting back to the sari. I would credit the whole comeback to Vidya Balan. She takes a lot of pride in it and has popularised it in most filmi events. Over the years Rekha has done immense justice to the sari. Of late the well dressed Deepika and Rani too have nailed the sari look in public.”
At the recently concluded Apsara Awards and Zee Cine Awards too most actors turned up wearing saris. Even the Kapoor sisters — Karisma and Kareena — sported the six yards. Actor Kajal Agarwal wore a dress designed to look like a sari at the Zee Cine Awards function in Macau.
However, the sari was definitely given its due importance when 30-year-old American businesswoman-actor-musician, Paris Hilton wore a red monotone sari for an event. She also modelled for a glossy, draped in a Tarun Tahiliani Swarovski creation for their bridal issue.
And most recently the sari was once again in the limelight when chat show queen Oprah Winfrey wore the sari for a party hosted in her honour in India.
