Park Avenue presents City Casuals at Lakme Fashion Week in partnership with FDCI sent out cool and functional styles for men, complete with subtle shades, prints, layering and laid-back. While Shantanu Maheshwari opened the show, Rajkummar Rao closed it. t2 caught up with the two backstage.
Rajkummar, are these your kind of colours?
Rajkummar: Yes, I love the colour blue. These are smart casuals and Park Avenue is foraying into casuals. It’s meant for people who love comfort with style and for people who are go-getters. These are things you can wear for your boardroom and then roll up your sleeves, go out and party.
Shantanu, this is the first time you are walking in Delhi…
Shantanu Maheshwari: I am excited and Delhi is the hub of fashion designers. It’s a formal attire, but semi-casual, which is how youngsters prefer to dress. I remember in my school days I used to wear formals. We used to wait for farewells and specific events where one had to wear formals. Otherwise with the kind of career I have chosen, I don’t think I need to dress formally.
What is your wardrobe like?
Rajkummar: It would be semi-formals and casuals, but if it’s a black-tie event, then you have to wear formals.
Do you have suits?
Shantanu: Hardly. I think one (laughs). I want to get a few stitched.
Rajkummar, what does (actress and wife) Patralekhaa usually buy for you?
Rajkummar: She is my go-to girl. Whenever I am in confusion as to what to buy and what not to buy, she is the first girl I go to. She knows my taste very well and will not force me to wear anything I am not comfortable with.
What makes a man stylish? What does he look best in?
Rajkummar: I think a man’s character (makes him stylish). Then of course there are the clothes he wears.
Shantanu: I think anyone looks best when they are wearing clothes they are comfortable in.
Growing up, which actors you thought were well-dressed?
Rajkummar: Growing up, I didn’t really know much about fashion to be honest. I used to watch Hindi films and get influenced. Of course, Mr Shah Rukh Khan is my all-time (favourite) actor. And, whatever he would wear, I would replicate in whatever capacity I could. Then there was John Abraham. He is very stylish.
Shantanu: Jaaved Jaaferi. We used to watch Boogie Woogie (a dance show on television) a lot and his fashion sense was very different. I think he was ahead of his times.
We are meeting just a few days before Durga Puja. By the time this comes out, Pujas will be over, but we really want to know if you have any Puja memories....
Rajkummar: Once we were in Calcutta and of course Durga Puja in Calcutta is huge. Patra has great memories and so do I. The word ‘ma’ says it all. I am a vegetarian. So, whatever is available in Bengali vegetarian cuisine, I try that.
Shantanu: I was there pre-Covid. It’s been a long time. I have memories of pandal-hopping at 3am. Whenever I go to Calcutta, I eat a lot of street food because I miss that a lot in Mumbai. These celebrations are all about happiness and beautiful artwork. I am from the Kumartuli side and it’s great to see the immense amount of talent.