In a season dominated by primaries, pastels and gilded embellishments, Ananya Panday is making a compelling argument for the power of black. The actor turned heads in a Gaurav Gupta creation that challenges every preconceived notion about festive dressing. Her pick was a sari-gown that proves the shade can look just as celebratory, high-impact and modern as any bright hue.

“This piece is from our latest 2025 couture collection, ‘Quantum Entanglement’, and it is my way of reimagining the sari through our evolving design language,” says Gupta. His reinterpretation begins with the silhouette: a fluid, side-slit silk-chiffon drape that forms the base of the ensemble. On Panday, it translates into a skirt that hugs her frame, while the pleats on it are an unmistakable Gaurav Gupta signature, sculpted to fall with precision. He continues, “The cascading tassels bring back an old GG code in a more contemporary way.” Those tassels become the defining texture of the look.