Billowing gowns, shimmery dresses and outlandish tuxedos that shocked and dazzled wove their way seamlessly onto the green carpet at the International Indian Film Academy (Iifa 2019) awards in Mumbai on September 18.
Here are our top picks from the night that saw some brave and bizarre wardrobe choices. Nobody can accuse Bollywood stars who turned up at the Iifas for being tame as they wore their confidence and not just their designer best on their sleeves…
THE STARS WHO ROCKED:
Ranveer Singh:
Salman Khan took a swipe playfully at Ranveer Singh’s dramatic captain suit from the house of Moschino by Jeremy Scott. But Singh totally pulled it off. The red silk drape, that resembled a sari interspersed with the suit, was bizarre but Singh has enough pizzazz to carry off even a paper bag worn over his head. As far as taking fashion risks go, Singh won top points.
Sara Ali Khan:
It was her first award win at the Iifas and Khan’s wardrobe choice reflected that. Looking like a proverbial belle of the ball, her billowing princess-like gown reflected her happy state of mind. With her white voluminous gown with floral details, she looked dreamy.
Alia Bhatt:
The ‘Raazi’ actress looked peach perfect in her form-fitting Georges Chakra gown. We loved her messy braid and the bronzed make-up, which made her look angelic and fresh.
Radhika Apte:
She never treads the conventional route in her movie choices and the same can be said about her fashion choices, too. Wearing a white Gucci midi dress with a plunging neckline and exaggerated ruffles, her choice was a welcome change from the long, conservative gowns that’s always spotted on the red carpet. Here’s full marks to her brave choice.
Ayushmann Khurrana:
Here’s proof that actors in Bollywood are upping their fashion game. Khurrana’s white and gold tuxedo was festive and on-point.
Preity Zinta:
The giant gold bow of her structured Gauri & Nainika gown made Zinta look ethereal. We love the on-point hair and scarlet lips. You can’t go wrong with this one. She played it safe, but she played it well.
THE ONES WHO DID NOT ROCK …
Deepika Padukone:
While her husband Ranveer Singh can channel his inner Liberace with panache, the same couldn’t be said for his wife Padukone who looked underwhelming in a feather violet Gaurav Gupta gown. The veil, which was perhaps a goth touch, didn’t sit well. This was one of the rare times when the statuesque beauty Padukone failed to put her best foot forward.
Katrina Kaif:
We can use her rock-hard abs as a shelf, but Kaif’s golden gown did not do her any favours. While we love the long shimmery sleeves, the ensemble looked outdated.
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BOLLYWOOD BFFS
While an awards night is all about the winners who conquer Bollywood with their films, the red carpet is the true place where we can witness the actual goodwill and camaraderie among stars.
It was heartening to see the bromance between Ayushmann Khurrana and Vicky Kaushal, two actors who won Indian National Awards this year. Their multiple embraces and high-fives showed that there’s no rivalry, but just revelry between the two actors.
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OTHER TOP MOMENTS FROM THE GREEN CARPET
- Another lady who won our heart was Ayushmann Khurrana’s wife and cancer survivor Tahira Kashyap, who wore a strapless pink gown and giant black glasses.
“This year was such a blessing for us. I am healthy again and I have more hair on my head… yay,” said Kashyap beamingly, touching her mop of brown curls.
- The bromance wasn’t limited to Ayushmann Khurrana and Vicky Kaushal alone. Swara Bhaskar walked in with her partner-in-crime and ‘Veere Di Wedding’ co-star Shikha Talsania.
The latter was shy to face the cameras, but it was sweet of Bhaskar to pull her along and face the cameras together. There seemed to be genuine warmth between the two ladies. “She’s an amazing actress,” said Bhaskar.
- Off with her heels: While Swara Bhasker looked like a million dirhams in her white gown, she had to remove her shoes when her heels got stuck in her gown. But the sport that she is, she was equally comfortable barefoot facing the cameras.
- Neena Gupta dared to wear sneakers. “Today, you are not giving me mummji-wali vibes,” joked Ayushmann Khurrana when he spotted his on-screen mother from ‘Badhaai Ho!’ wearing a racy neon off-shoulder dress. But it’s her sneakers we adored. Gupta proved that it’s never too late to mix things up in career or in fashion choices.
