Prateik Babbar upcycled Smita Patil’s Kanjeevaram sarees for Mumbai screening of Manthan: ‘It was challenging’
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Actor Prateik Babbar made a style statement when he attended the Mumbai screening of his late mother Smita Patil’s film, Manthan. Now, it has been revealed that he wore a suit-pant made from her Kanjeevaram sarees.
The fashionable outfit was designed by Rahul Vijay, and the designer shared details about the outfit through an Instagram post.
Blending tradition with contemporary style
Rahul took to social media to thank Prateik for giving him a chance to create the masterpiece.
Opening up about the creation process of the outfit, he wrote, “Thank you @_prat for letting me dig into the archives of your late mother, and the very iconic #SmitaPatil. When Prateik called me up asking me to dress him up for the Indian premiere of #Manthan, #SmitaPatil’s first movie that was shown at the recent Cannes Film Festival, I knew I had to bring in elements of Smita Patil’s style into his look”.
“Now this was challenging because we were getting womenswear pieces & moreover we didn’t know what we would end up finding from Smita Patil’s wardrobe that would match Prateiks style,” he added.
Rahul went on to reveal that Prateik’s aunt helmed them select two silk Kanjeevaram sarees, which were preserved over the years. His thought was blend in Indian textiles with modern silhouettes, and he designed the outfit by consulting with Monica Shah of Jade by MK.
They made a cropped double-breasted tuxedo in plain black silk with the pinstripe pattern from one saree fashioned into wide-legged pants. The red border of the second saree was used for the sleeves, which added a touch of elegance to the ensemble.
Rahul wrote, “We wanted to keep the silhouette very very modern considering we were recycling Indian sarees. I always like the juxtaposition of Indian textiles on modern silhouettes. And finally we decided on a cropped double breasted tuxedo in plain black silk & we recycled the second pinstriped saree into wide legged pants and used the red border of the saree as trims on the sleeves ( the design was lifted from a recent look that the brand did for their couture collection)”.
“Sustainable fashion with an emotional connection, this look has it all! Thank you to everyone at Jade involved with this project and my super super team @disha_punjabi and @simranbhatia28. Never thought I would recycle two sarees into menswear,” he ended.
Priya Banerjee also adds a personal touch
At the screening, Prateik was accompanied by his girlfriend and actor Priya Banerjee, who also added a personal touch to the outing. She wore Smita’s saree and her jewellery.
“Not sure where to begin but @_prat thank you for the honour of letting me wear your legendary mother’s gorgeous saree and stunning jewellery and trusting me that I would do justice to it. My heart is filled with so much gratitude,” she posted on Instagram.
She looked back at the story behind the saree, writing, “The sari is called Tanchoi. Smita Ma did the film “ Dard Ka Rishta” for Nargis Dutt Cancer Foundation and for that function in the USA large crowd had gathered..She wore this sari with its beautiful Pallu in the front and she held the pallu in both her hands while walking down each isle requesting people to donate”.
“It was an extraordinary gesture on her part, begging people to donate. How wonderful of a woman she was and I’m so honoured to even be a tiny part of her legacy,” she ended.
Manthan at Cannes
The restored version of Shyam Benegal’s landmark film Manthan, starring late actor Smita, made a glorious return to the spotlight with its screening at the Cannes film festival. The 1976 movie, which is inspired by the groundbreaking milk cooperative movement by Dr Verghese Kurien that transformed India into one of the largest milk producers in the world, was showcased under the Cannes Classics segment.
Naseeruddin Shah along with wife Ratna Pathak Shah, Dr Kurien's daughter Nirmala Kurien, and Amul MD Jayen Mehta also attended the screening apart from Prateik. Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, founder of Film Heritage Foundation, the not-for-profit organisation behind the restored print, was also present.
