For a Cannes red carpet newcomer, Kangana Ranaut pulled off some of the most consciousness-altering looks with déshabillé panache at Cannes Film Festival 2018. But there’s nothing surprising about it. It’s not for nothing that they call her a ‘style chameleon’. Rocking sexed-up silhouette with a devil-may-care attitude comes to Kangana naturally. Apart from channelling her inner Sharmila Tagore in a beaded noir Sabyasachi sari, she infused a raw ruffian sensuality to a champagne-toned Zuhair Murad and adopted a take-no-prisoners approach to sequins by wearing a Halpern number for an after-party.
Meanwhile, Deepika Padukone, whose recent red-carpet picks have been booed across the board, rose like a preening phoenix from the ashes. She added drama to her sartorial shenanigans by opting for dramatic eye make-up and off-kilter jewellery. Her other looks spelt Riviera chic to the T — from the purple pantsuit to the Philosophy maxi dress and a white tee-and-denims combo that she wore while soaking up the Cannes sunshine.
WHO WORE ZUHAIR MURAD BETTER?
It’s hard to look bad in an expensive Zuhair Murad creation, which is always visually arresting and embroidered-to-thrill. Both, Kangana and DP, wore Zuhair’s feminine creations on the red carpet. While Miss Ranaut made it more edgy with an unconventional hair-do and upgraded the oh-so-pretty ensemble with her trademark fierce attitude, Deepika brought back old-school glamour, which complemented the risqué factor of the sheer outfit. The overall vibe was ethereal and elegant. Both the beauties showed that they are veritable sartorial pros at nailing diaphanous gowns.
DISCO DIVA VS ANGEL
Always a risk-taker, who is known for rewriting fashion rules, Kangana dazzled in a beaded catsuit, springing to mind visions of the era of excess — the boisterous ’80s. Her big Diana Ross hair and winged eyes amplified this stunning in-your-face shine-on avatar. DP, too, channelled the va va voom ’80s by wearing a maximalist ruffled gown in shocking pink. The OTT exaggerated silhouette crafted beautifully with layers and layers of tulles emitted theatricality required for a fashion spectacle like Cannes. Having said that, this look would have worked beautifully for the Met Gala as it offered a modern twist to the angel wings. She stunningly offset the shocking pink with emerald jewellery. All in all, the colour play was a refreshing touch.
DP in a metallic Alberta Ferretti gown and Kangana radiates retro vibes in a Sabyasachi sari — Deepika pics: L’Oréal Paris
STUDIO 54 VS SHARMILA TAGORE
In this round, DP evoked ’70s innocence bringing back the hedonism of the iconic Studio 54 in a metallic gown by Milan’s Queen of Chiffon — Alberta Ferretti. The gown flattered her statuesque figure and she emerged looking every bit the Greek goddess. The power blow-dry and the MISHO earrings infused a relaxed accent into this excessive flamboyant jewel-toned number. Kangana paid homage to the iconic Sharmila Tagore, circa ’60s with her Basra pearl choker and Bardot-esque bouffant, which went beautifully with the classic sequinned Sabyasachi sari. Agreed, it was a tad cinematic, but it played out very well in her favour and the shutterbugs got a day’s fodder in terms of Cannes drama and flamboyance.
