Desi Glam at Cannes

The French Riviera is dripping with high-end glamour with the Cannes Film Festival being underway, and the Bollywood brigade is not far behind.

The French Riviera is dripping with high-end glamour with the Cannes Film Festival being underway, and the Bollywood brigade is not far behind. From Sonam Kapoor’s modern take on saris to her floral Dolce & Gabbana gown at the premiere of the film Jeune et Jolie, the 27-year-old has got the fash frat talking.

On the Vidya Balan front, her back-to-back Sabyasachi Mukherjee numbers might have got us in deja-vu mode, but the designer explains the idea behind her traditional look: “I have kept the focus on Indian fabrics, so you see Vidya wearing khadi and textiles from Andhra Pradesh, Benaras and Rajasthan,” says Mukherjee.

Nath-kath style
We have to give it to Sonam and Vidya for adding a traditional touch to their French outing, as they sported nathnis (elaborate nose rings) at different occasions. “Naths look very regal, as they add old world charm. The single piece of jewellery made them head turners. It was a crowd wearing the usual diamonds — and here we had our ladies in naths!,” say designer duo Falguni and Shane Peacock.

Vintage rocks
Freida Pinto sizzled in a Sanchita gown, heavy on bling. Apart from the outfit, the hair and makeup also made an impact for its retro appeal. “The textured side knot that Pinto is sporting is very in. It adds an instant vintage feel. It’s also very feminine, and of course a red mouth compliments the red carpet perfectly,” says beauty expert Ambika Pillai.

What were they thinking?
We have had so many fashion voices repeatedly telling us that they would hate to see costume-like Indian get-ups at the Cannes, but we guess our stars chose not to pay heed. Vidya Balan’s head-drape got us wondering if she was indeed having a bad hair day or was it the princess look gone wrong.

Another (sad) surprise was Amitabh Bachchan at The Great Gatsby Premiere, who let us down with the blinding black jacket teamed with a dotted bow tie that screamed Band Bajaa Baraat more than dramatic Fitzgerald’s elegance. Reminds us of his high-on-bling outfits in his 80’s films such as Yarana and Jaadugar.

When HT’s film critic Anupama Chopra asked Bachchan about his jazzy jacket, he shrugged and said, “It was something I picked up in Italy.”