Actor Prateik Babbar made a heartfelt fashion statement at the Mumbai screening of ‘Manthan’, a classic film starring his late mother, Smita Patil. In a touching tribute, Prateik donned an ensemble crafted from Smita Patil’s cherished Kanjeevaram sarees.

Designer Rahul Vijay, who was behind this unique creation, shared the details on Instagram. He expressed his gratitude to Prateik for allowing him the honor of working with such meaningful materials.

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“Thank you @_prat for letting me dig into the archives of your late mother, the iconic Smita Patil,” Rahul wrote. He revealed that Prateik reached out to him to design an outfit for the Indian premiere of ‘Manthan’, which recently had a special screening at the Cannes Film Festival. Knowing the significance of the event and the heritage of the materials, Rahul was inspired to incorporate elements of Smita Patil’s style into Prateik’s look.

Also Read: ‘Manthan’ featuring Smita Patil shines at Cannes 2024

 

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The process, however, was not without its challenges. “We were working with womenswear pieces, and we didn’t know what we would find that would suit Prateik’s style,” Rahul explained. With the help of Prateik’s aunt, they selected two Kanjeevaram sarees that had been carefully preserved. Rahul’s vision was to blend traditional Indian textiles with contemporary fashion, a goal he achieved with the help of Monica Shah from Jade by MK.

The final outfit featured a cropped double-breasted tuxedo in plain black silk paired with wide-legged pants fashioned from the pinstripe pattern of one saree. The red border from the second saree was creatively used as trims on the sleeves, adding a refined touch to the ensemble. “We wanted to keep the silhouette very modern while recycling Indian sarees. The juxtaposition of Indian textiles with modern silhouettes always fascinates me,” Rahul shared.

At the screening, Prateik Babbar was accompanied by his girlfriend, actor Priya Banerjee, who honored Smita Patil by wearing one of her sarees and some of her jewelry. The event was a star-studded affair, attended by prominent figures such as Naseeruddin Shah and his wife Ratna Pathak Shah, Dr. Kurien’s daughter Nirmala Kurien, Amul MD Jayen Mehta, and Shivendra Singh Dungarpur, founder of the Film Heritage Foundation responsible for the film’s restored print.

Prateik Babbar’s tribute through fashion not only honored his mother’s legacy but also showcased the timeless beauty of Indian textiles, merging past and present in a poignant and stylish manner.