Much was made of Bollywood’s outing in New York last weekend, thanks to IIFA Awards updates on social media. But amidst risqué beaded gowns and crystal-encrusted Disney princess numbers, one actress stood out for her unconventional choice of colour — chartreuse. Aditi Rao Hydari had selected the floor-grazing Swapnil Shinde for its fuss-free silhouette, and to accessorise, a pair of boho chic Deepa Gurnani earrings. “People think of me as feminine and delicate, but deep inside me there’s a tomboy boho vibe,” she begins, ready to plunge back into work. Movie projects Padmavati (as Ranveer Singh’s wife) and Bhoomi (Sanjay Dutt’s daughter) are underway, but first, there is her glamorous turn as the face of Vogue Wedding Show, a well-attended gathering of top bridal designers, make-up experts and planners in August.
Petite and dewy-eyed, Hydari is the antithesis of Bollywood’s fashion plates, be it Sonam Kapoor or Deepika Padukone. You tend to associate her with body-skimming anarkalis, swing dresses and minimal make-up. But she has also inherited a love for handwoven fabrics — her mother, thumri singer, Vidya Rao, and her aunt and craft activist Laila Tyabji are known in Delhi for their enviable collections of handloom saris. Hydari was part of a memorable Gemfields campaign last year, featuring “responsibly sourced Mozambican rubies”, and in recent interviews, she has shared health and beauty rituals that involve raw milk for the face and a diet of coconut water and ghee. She reveals that she travels everywhere with a stick of sandalwood and a mortar and pestle.
So who better to talk luxury wedding trends, at a time when handcrafted and sustainability are gaining recognition in this industry? Hydari, who favours heavy jhumkas and braids, admits that her sartorial quirks include mismatched sari blouses and 70’s front knot blouses from her mother’s college days. She stocks up on vintage benarasi saris, mashru and shibori. And she credits her young stylist, Sanam Ratansi, for painstakingly building at least 200 looks and making it seem effortless. During last year’s promotions for Abhishek Kapoor’s Fitoor and Bejoy Nambiar’s Wazir, as well as Mani Ratnam’s Kaatru Veliyidai three months ago, Ratansi gave Hydari eclectic drapes, voluminous skirts and jhumkas, lending ‘a desi-boho vibe’ to each outfit. Brands ranged from Myoho and Sanjay Garg to Sabyasachi Mukherjee and Tarun Tahiliani; and jewellery, from Amrapali to Outhouse.
Ratansi loves that Hydari is open to most styles. “She can carry off ghagras with volume and overwhelming silhouettes beautifully, and strangely, big earrings work despite her delicate, small face,” says the stylist, who started out with Anaita Shroff Adajania. Other rule breakers? “Print on print, big prints, even a purple lip colour! But we show a little collarbone and neckline.” And if her client wanted something unexpected, say, for a sangeet?“I’d give Aditi a Payal Khandwala pantsuit in brocade, with a choker.”
Vogue Wedding Show is on August 4-6, at Taj Palace, New Delhi