Richa Chadha turns Persian Empress for Reynu Taandon's show

Elegant and understated are the best words to describe Reynu Taandon's Persia-influenced collection at Amazon Indian Fashion Week for which Bollywood actress Richa Chadha turned heads in her regal bridal avatar.

Titled "Shahbanu", the couture line reflected mughal era glam with live performances by a thumri singer and renowned Sufi Qawwali group Nizami Bandhu, who have recently sung in Salman Khan's latest "Bajarangi Bhaijan".

Looking every bit of a royal princess, Chadha confidently walked the ramp with 'nazakat' wearing a maroon and gold heavily embroidered lehenga and choli, which she accersorised with jewellery pieces like jhumar, maagntika, necklace and sheer veil adorning her head.

"I was initially nervous but the moment I stepped on the ramp, I felt so confident that I could not believe myself. It was as if I was in a trance-like state. But I guess it's easy when you love it," said the "Masaan" actress, who greeted the crowd with a salaam.

Praising Taandon' s collection, Richa said she is very selective about who she walks the ramp for and when she was told about the idea of the line, she immediately said yes.
"Like my movies I am selective about ramp shows and have walked the ramp on very few occasions."

Taandon's collection was a series of period creations, comprising shararas, anarkalis, gararas, lehengas with intricate gold embellishments adding to the magnificence of each of the garments.

"The Shahbanu muse is a dream-like vision straight out of the royal courtyard with mesmerizing beauty reflecting through her accentuated eyes and statement jewellery. So I could only think of Richa when I conceptualised the show," Taandon said.

The fabrics in the bridal couture line ranged from lightweight georgettes to rich velvets.
The collection displayed a heavy use of zardozi gold embroidery, royal blue and wine hues combined with understated yet luxurious mirror work inspired from Persian culture and architecture.

Talking about having live musicians during the show, the designer said she wanted to transport everyone to the mughal era and that's why she chose the Nizami Brothers, best known for "Rockstar" song "Kun Faya Kun".

"We are glad that we were invited for such a grand show. I hope more people invite us all over the country," the Nizami brothers said.