ONE COULD THINK of a zillion options for walking the finale ramp at the Lakmé Fashion Week — an edgy outfit, a flowy gown or an extravagant lehenga and for sure, a lot of shimmer! But, breaking all stereotypes, Ananya Panday walked the ramp sporting a vibrant hand-pleated skirt paired with a full-sleeved crop top by Lakmé Grand Finale designer Ruchika Sachdeva (founder of Bodice) at the first phygital edition of the FDCI X Lakmé Fashion Week. Minutes before she walked the ramp for the closing show of the fashion week, we caught up with the actress to talk about her work. Excerpts from the conversation:
Q: Congratulations on making your debut on Lakmé Absolute Grand Finale. Did you ever dream of walking the finale ramp growing up? Are you nervous?
Ever since I have been associated with Lakmé, I have wanted to walk the finale ramp so it is a dream come true for me. It is happening so fast that I haven’t even gotten time to get nervous… all I am thinking is ‘don’t fall, don’t fall’ and leaving the rest to God!
Q: Kareena Kapoor Khan, who is also your icon, has walked on this ramp for years. Do you think you have big shoes to fill?
She is an inspiration. I am the biggest Kareena fan and I really look up to her because she has so much fun on the ramp — she enjoys herself, interacts with the audience, owns the outfit and vibes with the music. I find it very cool and inspiring… so yeah, I’ve got big shoes to fill... I can’t even compare myself to her.
Q: You are walking for Ruchika Sachdeva whose work is about minimal aesthetics and androgynous designs. How much do these terms resonate with your style? And what do you find most interesting about Ruchika’s work?
I really relate to a minimalist approach because my style is like that — I have always believed that less is more. What I also like about Ruchika is that she also adds a vibrant burst of colour somewhere in her outfits. Her silhouettes are very classic and bold and I think she is a really cool and young designer to watch out for.
Q: How excited are you about your first multilingual film, Liger?
It is technically my debut in four languages (Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Malayalam). There is a whole zoo awake in my stomach when I think about the movie but I am also very very excited. I think the audience is in for a ride because it is a Puri Jagannadh (writer and director) film. It is a masala entertainer and has a little bit of everything — comedy, romance, drama, action.
Vijay (Deverakonda, her co-star) is amazing. He is a very nice person and a great actor. I have had a great experience working with him.
Q: Tell us about three of your favourite LFW designers.
I am a very filmy girl so I would say Manish Malhotra. I am that kind of girl who would say ‘if I get married, I will get married in a Manish Malhotra lehenga, or I’m bidding farewell to my groom.’ But, I also think there is a crop of young and fun designers like Arpita Mehta and Ruchika Sachdeva.
heena@newindianexpress.com
Twitter/Instagram: @heenakhandlwal