The first Monday in May is reserved for fashion—the day we’re all hooked to our screens. While the rest of the world judges the Met Gala from their couches, dressed in their most comfortable, worn-out pyjamas, celebrities walk the red carpet in what they believe to be their most striking, noteworthy looks.
With the Blake Livelys, Zendayas, Beyonces, and Rihannas who somehow manage to always serve on the red carpet, matching up is a tough job. But going OTT with everything is part of our genes, so this comes naturally. Unfortunately, the only Indian celebrity who hasn’t let us down, year on year, seems to be Natasha Poonawala.
Mrs Vaccine (as she’s popularly known) knows that experimenting is key. She’s way ahead of her Indian red carpet contemporaries, with her Schiaparelli x Sabyasachi ensemble back in 2022 and her Choupette-inspired avatar in 2023.
But when it comes to our favourite on-screen stars, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, and Alia Bhatt have been regulars on the carpet. And it’s safe to say they didn’t match up to their Hollywood counterparts (with a few exceptions).
A Brief History
Alia Bhatt
Making her debut at the Met in 2023, Alia looked dreamy in a Prabal Gurung ensemble that helped escalate the ‘Pearlcore’ trend. But it wasn’t anything out of the ordinary—we’ve seen Alia look pretty in a white gown on a red carpet before. She’s not one to experiment with her makeup either; this look was pretty ordinary.
Cut to 2024: Alia stepped up! She was undoubtedly one of the best dressed on the red carpet. Her ethereal Sabyasachi saree with a sweeping train wasn’t the only gobsmacking thing about her look. Bhatt’s Renaissance-inspired hairdo with messy face-framing hair and bejewelled hair accessories was a winner.
Priyanka Chopra Jonas
In 2023, PeeCee opted for a simple black dress with white contrasted detailing and a low-key makeup look, making it one of her easily forgettable red carpet moments.
Perhaps her 2023 look was a letdown because her 2019 look set our expectations too high. Her Dior outfit gave ‘Camp’ and was inspired by the Mad Hatter in Alice In Wonderland. But it wasn’t even her outfit we were obsessed with because we couldn’t look past her makeup. Her wild hair, maroon lipstick, white liner, over-the-top mascara, and stick-on face jewels were as striking as they could be. PeeCe slayed, and how!
In 2018, she still followed the ‘Heavenly Bodies’ theme in a maroon velvet Ralph Lauren gown with a gold headpiece. Considering it was only her second time walking the red carpet, this was quite a bold look for her – a break from her body-hugging bedazzled gowns and voluminous blow-dried hair.
Deepika Padukone
Deepika’s Barbiecore look for ‘Camp’ just wasn’t Camp enough in 2019. It didn’t stay too far away from her comfort zone with her fluffy ponytail and monochrome makeup. But it still wasn’t the worst of all her looks!
Her red Prabal Gurung number in 2018, paired with a matching red lip and slicked-back hair, looked out of place at the Met. Was it possibly a good enough look for the Oscars or even the Cannes Film Festival? Even Farah Khan seemed to think so!
When she made her debut in 2017, Deepika chose a simple white satin slip dress with almost nothing going for it. She paired it with a simple bejewelled hair band, slicked-back hair, and her go-to cat eyeliner; Padukone’s look was nearly too basic to be worn for the biggest night in fashion.
In 2024…
As if to compensate for the disastrous past looks, the looks in 2024 were glamorous and breathtaking, and you can’t tell us otherwise. Alia Bhatt’s pastel desi princess look was a winner worldwide (even TikTok is quaking). Debutant Mona Patel outdid herself with her mechanical butterfly dress crafted by Iris Van Herpen.
As usual, Isha Ambani was on top of the game in a floral Rahul Mishra saree and classic makeup that spelled glamour. And Natasha Poonawala slayed in a custom Margiela with maximal makeup.
While Indians are certainly on the map, Bollywood is catching up. It’s an uphill journey but a steady one, and this year’s outcome speaks for itself.
Featured Images: Instagram