Black Tie Night

As is usual,there were quite a few floor-sweeping gowns spotted at the Star Screen Awards. But the look was far from boring as the ladies who chose to wear gowns,ensured there was enough drama in detail or colour or both.

Katrina Kaif,who has consistently stuck to long gowns on the red carpet,was wearing one this time too — a bright red Marchesa. Another dramatic gown was Kalki Koechlin’s multi-hued Preeti S Kapoor which,with its long sleeves and high neck,was perfect for the chilly evening. “I usually wear Preeti’s designs,but I picked this particular dress because I was told that it makes me look like a Russian doll,” laughed the actress. Another star in the wardrobe department was debutante actress Amrita Puri. Her wardrobe in her debut film Aisha may have been overshadowed by her co-stars Sonam Kapoor and Ira Dubey,but Puri proved she was no wallflower with her metallic Vizyon gown. Another lady who wore Vizyon was Mahie Gill. “I usually like wearing long gowns in bright colours,” she said,about her bright teal gown,“I think this style goes well with the Indian skin tone.”

Surprisingly,there were many ladies this year who chose to wear saris. Priyanka Oberoi,who dressed in a lovely blue Gaurav Gupta cocktail sari explained,“On such occasions,I prefer Indian wear. I’m more comfortable in them.” Maria Goretti chose to wear a black handloom sari,which she accessorised with flowers in her hair,while Mini Mathur picked a white sari by Delhi-based designer of handloom saris,Raw Mango. Vidya Balan,of course,wore one of her favourite attires,a kanjeevaram,as did Rekha. However,unlike the senior actress,Balan chose to keep her accessories minimal.

There were a few guests who went with high hemlines and managed to stand out from the crowd. Sonakshi Sinha’s lacy,boat-neck Shantanu and Nikhil creation was perfect for the night when the actress won her first award. Another actress who stood out in a short dress was Prachi Desai,who wore a Shane and Falguni Peacock dress. The actress kept her accessories low-key and totally rocked the designer duo’s typically over-the-top design.

Among the men,there were few,if any,sloppy dressers. Most of the male guests came dressed in impeccable suits — whether it was Sonu Sood’s Canali or Arshad Warsi’s Dolce and Gabbana outfit,quirkily paired with yellow-tinted glasses. Vivek Oberoi looked especially natty in a grey suit and slim tie. “My outfit was made by Delhi-based label Walnut. They’re brilliant designers,” the actor gushed. Those who wanted to keep their outfits a little less formal opted for beautifully fitted blazers and jackets,such as Rajat Barmecha,who wore a Narendra Kumar blazer or Nagesh Kukunoor who paired his Calvin Klein jeans with an Arjun Khanna jacket.

(With inputs from Somya Lakhani and Sharvari Patwa)