The Royals' stylist Aastha Sharma on styling Zeenat Aman, working with Aishwarya Rai for Cannes and handling criticism

Stylist Aastha Sharma shares insights on working with the cast of The Royals including Zeenat Aman, her collaboration with Aishwarya Rai for Cannes, and more.

Almost a year and a half ago, celebrity stylist Aastha Sharma – best known for styling Aishwarya Rai's most talked about Cannes looks and collaborating with stars like Malaika Arora, Nora Fatehi, Suhana Khan, Kiara Advani and others – confessed in an interview that if she could style a yesteryear starlet, it would be the iconic Zeenat Aman. In 2025, the stylist has come full circle as she styled the actor for the recently released Netflix drama The Royals. But not just Zeenat, Aashtha is the mind behind the looks sported by Bhumi Pednekar, Ishaan Khatter, Nora Fatehi, Dino Morea, Sakshi Tanwar, Milind Soman, and Vihaan Samat.

Celebrity stylist Aashtha Sharma styled The Royals' cast, including Zeenat Aman, and also Aishwarya Rai for Cannes.

In an exclusive interview with HT Lifestytle, Aashtha opened up about working with the iconic Zeenat Aman, styling Bhumi and Ishaan, working with Aishwarya for Cannes, the criticism she received for Aish's looks, and more. Here are the excerpts:

The Royals trailer gives a glimpse into all the drama, as well as the couture and sass you have served through the styling. Can you elaborate on your process, the designers you chose, and why?

When the project came to me, it sounded really interesting. When you hear the word Royals, it's going to be crowns, elaborate brocades, textile-driven, and something that is coming from the old world to the new world. But, when I actually read the script, it was very around the ‘how royalty lives in today’s time' theme. So, it gave me the freedom to experiment. Also, bringing in today's fashion to the show. I wanted to mix royalty and what the world has in fashion today together. And because I was styling the whole cast and crew, there were so many characters, and I had the liberty of experimenting with a lot of them. So, that's why some characters have very easy, everyday styling; some have a more couture and done-up styling. So, it was fun to put together the clothes because [I was styling] so many different characters - there was Zeenat Aman, Dino Morea, Nora Fatehi, Sakshi Tanwar, and then, of course, Ishaan and Bhumi.  

What was it like styling the iconic Zeenat Aman for The Royals?

It was exhilarating. I always wanted to style Zeenat Aman. She has been a style icon for many, many years. She and Praveen Babi – I always used to look up to their style and how they used to dress up in the 70s and the 80s. So, for me to style her in a character that is so extensive, it is not a simple look for her in the show. Her character is very experimental and very today, but still has royalty in it. So, if she is wearing modern cuts in the show, she has a little bit of Indian jewellery. It was a lot of fun. She is wearing really cool sunglasses and hats; it was something that I had never thought I would be able to pull off on someone like Zeenat Aman. But she was so open about experimenting. When we did the look test, she told me that ‘I have never looked like this, and I love it’. It was my biggest compliment. I had to often pinch myself to believe I was styling her. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Since she made her comeback on social media, I wanted to work with her, and it happened.

As for the rest of the cast, Bhumi Pednekar, Ishan Khatter, Nora Fatehi, Sakshi Tanwar, and others, you also had two supermodels – Milind and Dino on board – what was your process for styling all of them?

When you are working with such a big cast, they all come with their strong personal style. But at the same time, you are creating new characters. They were all up for that change in their looks. I was fortunate enough to have actors who were so diverse – from Ishaan to Bhumi to Dino Morea to Nora Fatehi to Milind – I have worked with them individually in the past, but when we came together for the show, it was more character-based. We did look tests, we experimented, and we were in the world of royals. We were all in Jaipur and creating a world there. It was a collaborative process. We all loved them in their clothes. So, it was quite a journey, and we worked as a team to get that world of royals in place.

Did you take inspiration from the Jaipur Royal family for your characters' styles?

We have shot in Jaipur at the City Palace, but I don't think the royal family dresses the way we have shown in The Royals. They are very casual. We couldn't take any inspiration because we did not have enough prep time for the show. So, I did not get any time to research. I read the character, and I created the looks. So, it was a great thing as well because I did not have any time to seek inspiration. So, by the time I reached Jaipur to shoot, everything was done. The characters have quite their individuality.

You once named Zeenat Aman one of the yesteryear celebrities you would love to style. And now you are doing it. Apart from The Royals, which movie of hers do you love the most in terms of fashion?

I must have said that somewhere. All of her [Zeenat Aman] boho clothes – the sexy and over-the-top looks like her big sunglasses, long hair, and everything about her. The whole era of Zeenat Aman in the 70s and the 80s – like Dum Maro Dum – and all her films and songs had leopard prints, animal prints, fur and big chunky jewellery, and that sexiness - I think my style is quite [inspired by her]... my style is very boho and laidback, and I relate to the boho sense of styling a lot. And a lot of it comes from the era of the 70s, where you had stars like Zeenat Aman and Praveen Babi. It's very like 'I don't give a damn about looking good, but yopu just look good'.

Talking about icons, you are known for styling Aishwarya Rai at Cannes. Can you elaborate on your experience working with her, how you both collaborate for such a big stage, and your favourite look of hers?

I have known Aishwarya now for so many years. The years I have worked with her, it's always been a very collaborative effort. There are some looks I have not done because of various personal reasons, but the years we have worked together have been absolutely amazing. It's been quite a journey, and it's always been something different we want to do. We never repeat what we did a year before. She is such an icon herself. It's always amazing to work with her.

My favourite Aishwarya look at Cannes is the Michael Cinco blue Cinderella gown and the Peacock one. I have quite a few, actually - like we did a Gaurav Gupta look in 2022 with the big headgear.

There has also been some online criticism over Aishwarya's past looks at Cannes. What are your thoughts on it, and how do you deal with it?

I have been working in this industry for many years, and I know that the criticism will come. But there's healthy criticism and unhealthy trolls. You do learn from the healthy criticism that you read and receive, and I am always open to that. But there is a lot of banter which doesn't bother me at all. And you can keep criticising because they are not doing anything. They are just sitting there and passing judgment. Meanwhile, we are actually producing these looks and working on them. So, the unnecessary trolls don't bother me at all. I learn from the criticism that makes sense to me, and I move on.

What is it like styling celebrities? Is it a piece of cake since you have been in the industry for many years, or does it get difficult sometimes?

It does get difficult all the time. It's like any other job. If you work in a corporation and your boss is just annoying, you have to deal with it. There are deadlines and challenges, but now that I have been working for 15 years, it has become a part of me. All my clients have built a rapport and trust with me, which makes it easier to manage things.

Who is your favourite stylist and designer?

I love Rhea Kapoor's work. She does an amazing job as a stylist. Meanwhile, I love Indian designers and have always enjoyed working with them.

In the current milieu, whose style do you find chic and effortless?

I think Ananya Panday is someone who dresses really well. She can carry off anything with grace, and she looks cool. I like Alia Bhatt's style, especially after giving birth to her daughter. Her style has completely evolved, and she looks really nice. Shanaya and all the new girls, for that matter, have such a good sense of style. They know what looks good on them and what works for them.

Any tips you would want to share with upcoming stylists?

Finish your education and do internships. I know many people want to take shortcuts, but a lot of contemporaries worked with different people before starting on their own. It helps you understand how the industry works. Nothing comes quickly and easily. You have to work hard for many, many years before you can expect a little bit of recognition. It is also important to remember early in your career that we don't work for recognition, we work for good work. It's important to remember this early in your career because styling is such a taxing job. You have to work hard to make it happen.