6 All Time Best Dressed Bollywood Actresses At Cannes
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There’s nothing more heartening than seeing an affirmation of your culture in an alien city or country. Indians, across the world, have been doing a great job of doing so, but nothing beats Bollywood at this game.
From capturing the desi swag in its movies to celebrating the indomitable Indian spirit, Bollywood strives to give everyone a piece of our culture.
Be it masala movies, such as Om Shanti Om, or Jab We Met, with their entertaining song-and-dance routines, or our indie cinema with movies like Qissa, Manto. Each of these movies portrays a different side our great nation, while some of them even attempt to reclaim our past.
So it’s no wonder that Bollywood actors too, make efforts to do the same at various platforms where they represent not just their work, but our nation as well. One such popular platform is Cannes. The Cannes Film Festival is one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. It often plays host to a bevy of Bollywood stars who participate in it to showcase their movies to a global audience and partake in world cinema. In doing so, they often give a nod to their rich heritage, making everyone aware of their culture and fashion. Let’s take a look at how they managed to do so.
1. Sonam Kapoor-Ahuja
Being a fashionista, Sonam has always managed to wow the world with her unique sense of style. But what sets her apart was how she manages to weave elements, that link her to her nation, in her look. Be it her saree – pants or her elaborate nath, Sonam’s outfits always featured a call – back to her roots. In 2018, she managed to do so by wearing a Ralph-Russo gown structured in the form of a lehenga, and pairing it with an exquisite paraandi.
2. Huma Qureshi
The Badlapur actress who is known for her hatke roles, and voluptuous frame, wowed the world at large in her traditional yet modern, Varun Bahl ensemble, which was a spin on the traditional lehenga. Not the one to fit in, Huma had no qualms about strutting her stuff like the diva she is. All we can say is, hats off madame!
3. Kangana Ranaut
Our queen made her debut in Cannes in 2018, in a dazzling black saree by celeb-favorite designer, Sabyasachi. More than the fact that she wore a saree, it was the way she styled her look that caught everyone’s eye. Her Akash – Tara saree was a vision in black, and she styled her look along the lines of Breakfast At Tiffany’s meets 70s’ Mumtaz! Audrey Hepburn would have been proud of this east-meets-west twist.
4. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan
A Cannes veteran, Aishwarya made her Cannes debut in 2002, for the premiere of her movie Devdas. While the fashion police approved of her bright yellow saree, they felt her accessorizing was a bit over the top. But we disagree, we Indians love our gold, and Aishwarya proved just that!
Since then she has come a long way, and her appearance at Cannes is one that is most eagerly awaited by both the fashion pundits, and her fans alike. The thing that’s remarkable is that even when she wore ensembles which were considered fashion misses, she did so with aplomb and carried them gracefully. Even when she had gained weight during her pregnancy, she wasn’t bogged down by the media attention and stepped on the red carpet in a fierce avatar.
5. Nandita Das
An unlikely name in this list, this dusky diva who is the epitome of grace and poise made her debut in Cannes as a jury member in 2013. In 2018, she participated in the film festival again to showcase her movie, Manto. And she did this while dazzling in the most adored of all Indian attire – saree. Suffice it to say that this lady is a true Indian, both in substance and style.
6. Vidya Balan
The sultry siren who made waves for her amazing roles such as her portrayal of the south-Indian actress, Silk Smitha, and a pregnant spy, in movies like Dirty Picture, Kahaani, made her debut at the festival in 2013.
While other actresses did make an effort to blend in by occasionally wearing western attire such as ball gowns, Vidya stuck to her Indian guns by opting for royal sarees. Even though she received mixed reactions from the fashion critics, Vidya responded that it was the attire in which she felt most like herself.
These divas wore their Indian-ness on their sleeves and we love them for it. What can we say, phir bhi dil hai Hindustani! Which was your favorite diva among the ones we listed out here? Let us know in the comments.
