Ananya Panday joined the Ambani family at their residence in Mumbai for Ganesh Chaturthi in a warm mango-coloured sari from designer Arpita Mehta that brought together a rich jewel-tone palette and heritage textile and embroidery traditions. The actor chose this occasion to champion craft, instead of going taking the fusion-style festive dressing route.
The yellow sari’s surface came alive with fine, resist-dye work of dotted bandhani, layered beneath a gilded trellis motif that draws from the gharchola style. The border was accentuated with a blend of zari, mirror, thread and sequin work and features with a kiran border. For Mehta, the piece was an exercise in reinterpretation of heritage crafts. “For this look, we wanted to celebrate the richness of bandhani while giving it a fresh, contemporary expression,” she shares. “The mango hue felt perfect for Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations– warm, joyful and full of life.”
The blouse brought another element of craftsmanship to the look. Cut with a rounded neckline and cap sleeves, it is inundated with bugle pipe embroidery in a bevy of paisley shapes while the sleeve edges are finished with delicate mirror embellishments. “We paired the sari with a hand-embroidered blouse to bring in a sense of craft and detail, while keeping the overall silhouette effortless. Ananya carried the look with such ease and elegance, allowing the beauty of the textile and its craftsmanship to truly take centre stage,” adds Mehta.
