Saree not Sorry! Representing India in 6 yards of elegance at Oscars

Saree not Sorry! Representing India in 6 yards of elegance at Oscars

With India's big win at the Oscars for RRR and Elephant Whispers comes the representation of Indian culture – a woman lifting the trophy dressed in a pink Benarasi saree making a statement to note

Shreya SurUpdated: Tuesday, March 14, 2023, 08:19 PM IST
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'The Elephant Whisperer' co-producer Guneet Monga, RRR actor Ram Charan's wife Upasana Kamineni, SS Rajamouli's wife Rama Rajamouli, RRR music composer's wife and other members of the RRR family ditched gowns and chose Sarees to attend prestigious Oscars 2023 ceremony in Los Angeles. These women showed the world the way to flaunt the six yards of elegance and say 'SAREE not SORRY!'

While Ram Charan showcased his Indianess in a three-piece Sherwani by Shantanu and Nikhil, his wife Upasana served an elegant yet traditional 'champagne' carpet look in a classic white silk saree by Jayanti Reddy to represent India. Guneet Monga, made India proud as 'The Elephant Whisperers' won the first ever Oscars in the Best Documentary Short category. She looked gorgeous in a pink 'Banarasi saree' teamed up with a full-sleeved blouse.

Ace fashion designer Amy Billimoria says all the women in saree added elegance to the red carpet. “Sarees showcase our Indian tradition, so wearing a saree at any point of time is beautiful and timeless. I loved the way Guneet (Monga) projected herself at the Oscars. Her look was contemporary and very bold. The hot pink colour itself epitomises a lot of elegance and panache."

Chhaya Momaya, a Celebrity stylist is of the opinion that these ladies draped the sari in a way that complemented the event. “Of course wearing sarees at international events means showcasing our culture and traditions. If you have a good body and you think that you can carry a gown just like Deepika Padukone in Oscars 2023, you should go ahead. If you cannot pull off a gown, you can choose to wear a saree. But, there is one thing. When it is a red carpet, one should really take care of the way you drape the saree, wear it like Indians glorify saree," she suggests.

Once upon a time
This is not the first time that Indian celebrities have chosen to wear sarees to attend an international event while representing India. Back in 1976, actresses Shabana Azmi and Smita Patil wore sarees to the Cannes red carpet for their film Nishant directed by Shyam Benegal.

Latter, in 1994 during the screening of Devdas by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan slayed the red carpet at Cannes in mustard yellow saree by Neeta Lulla on her debut at the film fest. She, undoubtedly established the trend of wearing sarees at international events which many followed. She frequently showed up in sarees at international red carpets and other gala events.

Thereafter, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja, Vidya Balan, Priyanka Chopra, Deepika Padukone, Kangana Ranaut, and recently Alia Bhatt during Gangubai Kathiawadi followed the trend for their respective red-carpet looks.

Bollywood's own fashionista, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja gave a modern twist to classic saree when she wore an Anamika Khanna outfit at the Cannes Film Festival red carpet. Kangana Ranaut took the baton ahead in her maiden Cannes visit by wearing a classic Sabyasachi saree with an overall vintage look.

Deepika Padukone too made a fashion statement at Cannes 2022 in a Sabyasachi Mukherjee Royal Bengal Tiger saree when she received an invitation to attend the 75th Cannes Film Festival as a jury member, representing India.

Is it vogue or pride?
Richa Meena of Chhello Show fame chose to make her grand debut at an international event award ceremony in Saree. “The way saree highlights an Indian beauty, no other dress can do that to an Indian woman. It allows you to wear beautiful jewellery, accessories and flowers on your hair bun as well. The elegance that comes with sarees is unmatchable,” she says.

She has a point. "Wearing a saree is an individual choice and it is totally cool. It helps to stay close to your roots when you are representing India on an international platform. I would wear a saree if I get a chance to represent India. As fashion is evolving, I would love to wear an edgy outfit inspired by saree and still have the Indian element," she added.

Pan Nalin's Chello Show was India's official entry in the Best International Feature Film category at the 95th Academy Awards before losing it to All Quiet on the Wester Front and others.

Celebrity stylist Chhaya Momaya is of the opinion that wearing a saree is completely a choice of pride to represent where you come from. “If you see Japanese women they will wear Kimonos with elegance and make sure to complete their look with an orchid on their hair buns,” she insists. And Amy adds that saree is the sexiest outfit on the red carpet. “Being a designer for the last 31 years, I have done so many red-carpet looks with sarees. I was the first one to invent the stitch saree. Saree is not only a source of pride, but it also adds a lot of glam and panache to a red carpet look. And it is timeless," says the designer.

On planning the perfect 'desi' red carpet look

It is safe to say that over the years saree, what was once a traditional cultural statement has become a flexible and adaptable global garment that can be interpreted in many ways. The six yards of elegance is here to stay as a symbol of pride for our Indian beauties. However, Amy points out that it takes months to plan that perfect look which gets over in just a couple of minutes.

“There is a lot of teamwork that goes on for planning an international red carpet. When we do a Cannes or any other international red carpet, we make sure to portray a lot of Indian culture in the look. Although we do see a lot of celebrities wearing international designers, I'm very happy that Indian designers were projected on the red carpet," she expresses.

Chhaya adds that One needs to wear clothes immaculately and make sure to complete the look. “For a saree look, one needs to wear it with all the 'shringar' from your jewellery to your hair and makeup to your nails and footwear, everything should be perfect just as Indians wear it. You need to follow the red carpet.”

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