By Design

Why wouldn’t she be? Balan has arrived at where she is — right on top of the Bollywood heap — being derided. She was always ticked off for being plump,or not wearing her fashion with the pizzazz of the size-zero heroines. Balan fought back with powerhouse performances one after another,until she discovered a style-guide in Sabyasachi,who then turned her into a classical Indian goddess in Kanjeevarams,Benarasis and South silks. (To be honest,she also found another wildcat in stylist Niharika Khan,without whom neither the iconoclastic The Dirty Picture nor Balan would have been half as compelling). Balan learned that to win the game,you’ve got to make your own rules,even if it means getting booed at sometimes from the stands. If it worked for her in ruthless Bollywood,it was sure to fly internationally too. The black-white anarkali which she wore on her first appearance at Cannes with a veil on her head was adored by foreign paparazzi. Among a sea of too-pretty-to-be-stirring floor-sweepers,she stood out like an Indian princess. It was especially celebratory since the festival was celebrating 100 years of Indian movies. Balan’s co-jurors Nicole Kidman and Steven Spielberg complimented her over and over again.

Cannes is high-octane glamour alright,but there’s also a large intellectual lobby on its fringes that Balan has won over. Moreover,she isn’t here as a Barbie actress selling hair product,she’s here in the highest profile — a jury member,a position only her talent and achievement have procured.

If Balan’s 36-change wardrobe is called ‘costume’,the eyeball-grabber Sabya says a ball gown is costume too. “What is its relevance to modern living? None.” Balan’s (and her stylist’s) game-plan was to give the world an India that was India-forward,and they seem to be shifting that paradigm wonderfully.

Fashion is quickly moving away from being a global game with a uniform wardrobe to something that’s far more relevant and rooted culturally. Sabya agrees wholeheartedly when he says: “Luxury is created from a point of arrogance,not subjugation. If the French are arrogant about their heritage,we need to be too.” There’s no more apologising about being Indian or exotic,now there’s only showing it off as cleverly as you can.

namratanow@gmail.com

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