Varanasi-born designer behind Chhaya ‘Manju Mai’ Kadam’s transformation at Cannes
New Delhi: For those who have seen Chhaya Kadam as the railway platform feminist of ‘Laapataa Ladies’, Manju Mai, her glam avatars at the 77th Cannes Film Festival came as a pleasant surprise.
Kadam shared the spotlight with Payal Kapadia and her fellow actors — Kani Kusruti and Divya Prabha — when the ‘All We Imagine As Light’ director received the Grand Prix, the second most important award at Cannes.
The actress, who’s known for her working-class roles (she plays the hospital cook Parvati in ‘All We Imagine As Light’), first caught the attention of fashion watchers when she attended the film’s world premiere in a handwoven black pearl ‘rangkat’ lehenga from the atelier of Warp ‘N’ Weft designer Sagrika Rai.
Varanasi-born Rai, who has been working in Mumbai since 1987, is best-known for her interpretations of the weaves of her home city. She paired Kadam’s lehenga with a white shirt, black-and-golden striped corset top, and black blazer.
In an Instagram post, the design house noted that her outfit was “a capitvating choice for an extraordinary event showcasing the seamless fusion of talent and craftsmanship”.
The Marathi actress also sported a traditional Maharashtrian ‘nath’ at the screening, a tribute to both her late mother and her Kanchan Kombdi character in Kunal Kemmu’s ‘Madgaon Express’, which got widely noticed.
For the awards evening, Kadam came attired in a maroon brocade saree paired with a matching full-sleeved blouse. She opted for a minimal makeup look — maroon lips, kohl-rimmed eyes and a maroon bindi.
Her hair was tied in a bun with central partition and she rounded off the look with big golden jhumkas and matching bangles.