Perhaps, keeping a promise is the most endearing among the numerous enviable qualities that Shobhaa De embodies. When we met her in the hills of Gangtok in March, the celebrated author and columnist had promised us a fashion shoot when she visited Calcutta next. When we knocked on the door of her splendid Taj Bengal suite on a late June morning, the septuagenarian writer welcomed us with her signature warmth. Looking ravishing in a long, flowing purple dress with a radiant visage, as she settled down for hair and make-up, the first thing she noticed was our hair and make-up pro Abhijith Chanda’s assistant Rabi Gupta’s arm in a sling. Empathy and eye for detail.
Stylist Sumit Sinha chose three versatile looks for De from fashion destination 85 Lansdowne for the shoot and styled them with Raj Mahtani’s bold jewellery. Abhijith gave De classic looks that complemented her personality. Post our shoot, De sat down with us for a quick chat on an afternoon well-spent.
After how long did you do a fashion shoot?
After a week... I did it for a heritage textile company in Mumbai which was started in 1938. I have been buying saris from them for over 50 years...
You were saying you love shoots...
I enjoy it because this is something I have been doing since the age of 16 or 17 and it comes naturally to me. It’s not an effort and I am never tense and I am at that stage of my life, really, where I don’t care. Is my body looking this way? It’s who I am and I have no problem with it.
How was it shooting with t2?
The shoot, for me, was working with a young, creative team and enthusiastic team and a team that knew exactly what they wanted. It always helps. There was a story in place even before we took the first shot.
You wore Raw Mango saris and Raj Mahtani’s jewellery...
I wore Raw Mango after a very long time. The last time I did wear Raw Mango was when Sanjay Garg had just launched. Of course, his saris and his look were different at that time, much more traditional and classic, Benarasi with a slight Raw Mango twist and he became a rage across the world and still is.
So, wearing him and Raj Mahtani’s legendary jewels... I have seen that magnificent store on Park Street and been to it several times and bought a couple of small pieces because that’s all one can afford from Raj Mahtani! Each time I am in Calcutta, I make it a point to just drop by to see what he is doing. He is extremely creative and he breaks the rules and he is not a conventional jeweller. I like the fact that there is a legacy and it’s heritage and he is proud of what he does. He has not commercialised as a lot of the others have. There is no compromise on the quality of his stones and craftsmanship. So, I have a huge amount of respect for both the labels.
How has your style evolved?
It changes all the time. I don’t think of myself as fashionable. It’s just that I grab things from various places and put them together.
It’s got a gypsy vibe...
I think I was born a gypsy! It’s what appeals to me, but I also love the classic and the classical. My collection of saris goes back 50 years. I have saris by master craftsmen which are special, most of which you won’t get any more, but very few occasions to wear them. I have just become a little lazy over the years. I don’t go out that much.
I can wear saris in my sleep, very quickly and in under two minutes. It’s something that comes naturally to me. I love the drape and it’s the perfect garment. No designer in the world can better a sari. I was and remain a sari champion and I should go back to wearing them much more. Fashion is something that should be really very easy. It should not be something that is imposed on you. It should be something that represents you. So, I dress according to the occasion, and, I hope, age-appropriately as well. I like taking chances with fashion, which was why this shoot was fun because to wear a textured bomber jacket with an ornate zari sari is breaking rules and breaking new ground. A younger generation might be attracted to wearing saris if they see it worn differently.
How would you define style?
Fashion can be followed and you might have resources to buy the most fashionable things in the world, but style is innate. It’s inborn in many ways and no one can teach you style. It’s not just the clothes you wear. All that you represent of yourself each time you are in public is your style. The way you speak is your style. The way you treat people is your style and the way you live at home, when no one’s looking, that is your style. I don’t think you can go to a fashion school and acquire that skill. You either have it or you don’t.
Do you love jewellery?
I love all kinds of jewellery. I am not a minimalist. It doesn’t suit me and I think my personality overwhelms something very delicate because I am not a very delicate kind of woman, to put it very mildly (laughs). So, a piece like what they call a statement... and I have been collecting jewellery over time and I have a few pieces which I am really proud of because I don’t think they make those pieces any more. They do make an impact when you wear them. But you need the occasion and a certain mood to wear them and feel wonderful wearing them, but for me, those are the pieces that I consider a personal legacy that my girls will inherit and cherish. So, I am giving away a lot of my younger-self jewels to them. It’s their age to enjoy that jewellery. I am keeping some of the classic pieces for myself.
You have seen many stylish people. Who are some of the personalities whose sense of style you admire the most?
I find Kapil Dev extremely stylish, a real achiever who has grown well with age, looks fantastic and he has gone through quite a lot with his health. He was one of our greatest cricketers. I find (M.S.) Dhoni incredibly attractive too. Virat Kohli has a natural, casual style which is not forced and he is never trying too hard and he is not wearing dress-up clothes.... He looks great.
Hair and make-up: Abhijith Chanda
Styling: Sumit Sinha Wardrobe: Raw Mango and Coral (available at 85 Lansdowne; 85B Sarat Bose Road)
Jewellery: Raj Mahtani Couture Jewels (Park Street)Location: Taj Bengal