09032025-LSTL-01.qxd 3/8/2025 9:14 PM Page 1 c m y b ESHA DEOL IS BACK Actress Esha Deol is happy about returning to the big screen after a long gap in Vikram Bhatt’s Tumko Meri Kasam. Although she has been working and was seen in web series like Rudra: The Edge of Darkness and Hunter: Tootega Nahi Todega, she is finally making a comeback in films. TRIBUNE Mixed feelings Kate Hudson, who starred in romantic comedies like How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and Bride Wars, is happy being called a ‘romcom queen’, but she wants to explore more as an actor’. LUDHIANA | SUNDAY | 9 MARCH 2025 Gone are the days of reds, magentas, oranges and rusts, as far as the choice of celebs for wedding dresses is concerned. It’s all about ivory, champagne, blush pink and golden hues now ANUSHKA SHARMA AND VIRAT KOHLI KIARA ADVANI AND SIDHARTH MALHOTRA Pastel panache Mona When Bollywood’s leading lady Anushka Sharma got married to cricket icon Virat Kohli in a dreamy Tuscany wedding, in a blush pink Sabyasachi lehenga, little did one know that she was setting the trend for the coming decade! Neha Kakkar chose an almost identical pale pink classic Sabyasachi wedding lehenga in the following year, followed by Karishma Tanna in a Falguni Shane Peacock pink dress. Alia Bhatt stunned everyone with a sudden wedding and chose to go for an ivory Sabyasachi saree. Athiyas Shetty in a blush pink Anamika Khanna lehenga; Kiara Advani in a soft rose lehenga by Manish Malhotra; Parineeti Chopra in a champagne-hued Manish Malhotra lehenga, and Rakul Preet Singh in a Tarun Tahiliani soft ivory and gold-toned lehenga…pastels are dominating wedding outfits. The same colour palette, mathapatti and heavy kundan/emerald necklaces, and even similar varmalas, a lot of the celeb/Bollywood brides seem to copy the same format. The latest to join the bandwagon is 17-million followers strong influencer Prajakta Koli, who recently tied knot in a dreamy Karjat setting, in a custom Anita Dongre handpainted Pichhwai lehenga with Parijaat flower motifs (as an ode to her name). In a celeb-driven society, the softer hues trend has trickled down to the masses. The reds, magentas, oranges and rusts that screamed wedding are fast being replaced by ivory, champagne, blush pink and golden hues. Changing contours What feeds this trend? Designer and Founder Director of INIFD Ritu Kochhar levels it to the changed wedding concepts. “Unlike earlier, when wedding pheras happened at night according to mahurat, time has moved to the day with Goa and Maldives being the chosen wedding destinations. A day wedding with the whole walking down the aisle setting, probably the pastels match the water backdrop bet- ter,” says Kochhar. As pastels are easy to reuse compared to stark reds, this is probably another reason why brides are opting for neutral hues. Example in focus; Alia Bhatt, who wore her Sabyasachi saree to the National Film Awards also donned it in the following year for her wedding! With the wedding function stretched to days with haldi, mehendi, sangeet, cocktail, Bollywood-themed nights and more, risqué and coloured numbers are secured for other functions, just like Prajakta wore a red saree for her wedding reception! Celebs set the trend and masses follow. The designers today are inundated with requests for pastel wedding dresses. Chandigarh-based fashion designer Jasmine Bains has been a huge pastels’ fan ever since she started her designing journey a decade ago. “Winter wedding in North India in the misty settings makes for the perfect backdrop for a pastel bride.” Jasmine’s love for pastels seeped in during her childhood as she saw her mother don pastel silks in winter. “I have a soft spot for pastels with lots of my collections in it.” As for brides picking up lighter colours over traditional red, she avers, “Over the years, the trend has moved from only red diktat to suiting one’s skin tone to opting for individual likes. Lots of brides pick up the lighter shades for their special day.” Vrishank Khanal and Prajakta Koli KL RAHUL AND ATHIYA SHETTY PARINEETI CHOPRA AND RAGHAV CHADHA ALIA BHATT AND RANBIR KAPOOR VARUN BANGERA AND KARISHMA TANNA Pay disparity ‘Everything is not about the win’ Women have to prove themselves again and again, says Madhuri Dixit Nene Producer Guneet Monga expressed gratitude for the recognition Anuja received at the Oscars despite not winning. Priyanka Chopra and Guneet Monga-backed Anuja, a short film set in New Delhi, was nominated in the Live Action Short Category at the Oscars 2025, but lost the prestigious award to the Dutch language film I’m Not a Robot. However, Guneet shared that getting nominated is also a ‘big thing’. Directed by Adam J. Graves, Anuja had secured a nomination for Best Live Action Short Film at the 97th Academy Awards, putting it in the race against other notable contenders such as Alien, I’m Not a Robot, The Last Ranger, and A Man Who Would Not Remain Silent. Monga shared, “It is a beautiful film by Adam J Grave and Suchitra Mattai...Adam is the director and Suchitra is the producer. I joined their journey to be able to celebrate the film. We are very happy to get nominated. It is also a big thing to be in the top five It’s 2025, but women across several industries are still grappling with pay disparity. Lately, we have seen many renowned actresses addressing this issue publicly. Recently, at a special session hosted by the International Indian Film Academy Awards (IIFA) 2025 in Jaipur, Madhuri Dixit Nene shared her take on it, accepting that pay disparity has long existed. “Well, I think for the women, they have to prove themselves time and again and to say that we’re equal, we can draw an audience, we can do that, but we have to prove it every single time. And yes, there is still a disparity. I think we have a long way to go and we have to kind of work every day towards that,” Madhuri said. Madhuri shared her views during an insightful conversation with IIFA’s vice president, Noreen Khan. — ANI c m y b Producer Guneet Monga talks about Anuja’s Oscar disappointment in the world.” She continued, “The journey was beautiful and the team was beautiful. We were able to bring the girls to America...It was surreal, magical. I was there for seven days and part of the celebration. We really enjoyed a lot. Everything is not about the win, it is also about the effort that you put in and it is great to be nominated.” For Monga, Anuja marks her third Oscar nomination. Her previous projects, The Elephant Whisperers and Period: End of Sentence, have both won Academy Awards. Being a woman producer, she said there were a lot more opportunities in India and the US now. “It is a time to think how far I can go and explore. It’s the beginning of a new chapter and time to fulfill all the dreams I have seen.” — ANI