On Republic Day, Samantha Ruth Prabhu made her way to the Rashtrapati Bhavan for the At Home reception after receiving an invite from President Droupadi Murmu. For the occasion, the south star wore heritage on her sleeves, turning to a revival Banarasi Iktara weave from the Label Sourav Das.
Rendered in a pistachio green that looks time-honoured yet freshly calibrated for now, the sari breaks from the primary jewel tones typically associated with Banarasi drapes. The silk canvas is scattered with gold woven buttis, while a rich border and pallu elevates it. “Samantha’s is wearing a quintessential Hazar Buiti Asharfi Sikka revival Banarasi sari with a bygone angri border woven in finer counts of mulberry silk. It also has konias on either side of the pallu. The sari is woven with Kaduwa method in Iktara style with hand-beaten patua zari,” shares Sourav Das. The Iktara, also known as single thread, technique offers not just strength and smoothness but also a fluid fall and a resilient life that’s prized by connoisseurs.
Banarasi saris have long occupied a rarefied place in Indian wardrobes. Their lineage traces back centuries of royal patronage and painstaking craftsmanship. One weave can take weeks, sometimes months, to complete, with master weavers translating complex designs onto looms that demand memory and muscle. What makes them singular is not just the silk or the zari, but the varied motifs, from florals nodding to abundance, to paisley border, signifying fertility and eternity. In the actor’s sari, the geometric buttis, which speaks of cosmic order, feels particularly resonant. It serves an emblem of continuity for a woman who has repeatedly chosen longevity over trend.
She completed the look with an open-setting diamond and emerald choker, complemented by matching stud earrings and a statement ring from Golecha’s Jewels. Her hair was worn in a sleek, middle-parted half-up, half-down style, while her makeup stayed understated and refined with a matte, skin-like base, softly smoked eyes and a nude lip that let the jewellery and weave take the spotlight. A pistachio sari and jewels, like hers, is a smart trousseau investment. While it is timeless in spirit, it is refreshingly modern and versatile enough to move seamlessly from intimate family ceremonies to landmark events for years to come.
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Samantha Ruth Prabhu’s silk sari is woven with a houndstooth pattern
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