At the Met Gala

"The statement by Diljit"

Another year, another #Met gala. With it, cometh the parade of stars, strutting around like proudy peacocks in their garish attires. Give me peacocks anyday, most of the attire worn by the so called “stars” wasn't just garish , it was outright grotesque. If there were a prize for the best ( or the worst eyesore), there might be many contestants. Only i couldn’t be bothered to select or even nominate for that, just looking at those ugly, uglier and ugliest costumes would be enough for a headache ( or an eyeache for that matter). 

Kiara’s copycat dress from Aishwarya with some batwing kind of effect, and Priyanka Chopra Jonas in that polka dot thingi ( what is she trying to be, some baby doll?).Well, at least she got recognised and called out to .

Kiara - Batwing and Srk- rag doll looks

Of course, not to forget Shahrukh Khan a.k.a Srk ( i mean he might have been an icon sometime, and the hearthrob of millions, but this time around he looked like just a faded ragdoll with mousy hair ). It was so bad, he even had to introduce himself to some ignoramus reporter who asked him who he was.. Well, well, it takes all kinds to make this world, and even though he has millions of followers, im sure knowing Srk, he would be unfazed about the question, or the ignorance of the reporter . Never mind, Srk is known to be humble, if im not mistaken. So hats off Srk for carrying that attitude of nonchalance, but as far as the costume goes it was a complete minus points - i mean just black suit.. What the ! Surely you could have got more creative with the plethora of designers waiting in the wings to dress you up, what with your slender looks and all. Manish Malhotra, Sabyasachi, Abu Jani, Sandeep Khoska, Anusha Reddy, and many other talenthouses must be in tears now, what a missed opportunity for all the Indian designers to showcase their talent with Srk as the model and Met gala as the event..

Anyhow, even though there were many a missed opportunity, not all was lost. This time around, what stole the scene, and many hearts was none other than “ Diljit Dosanjh”.. Of course i have been a huge fan of his singing. “Ek kudi**” comes to mind immediately and his cute acting skills , from the movie “Udta Punjab**” ( another creative masterpiece by the very talented Anurag Kashyap), but, this angle to Diljit-  wow wow ..

 Very fittingly "Dil jit liya ji" is baar “ you stole hearts this time”. Not just for the elegant, swashbuckling Maharaja of Patiala look by Prabal Gurung, but the way you carried it, with the regal walk, golden sword, and Gurmukhi script etched on the dress. To quote the press "Diljit paid a homage to Maharaja Bhupinder Singh at Met Gala by wearing bespoke ivory sherwani, turban and exquisite jewellery which included an elaborate necklace. The outfit also had a ceremonial sword and a cape with the map of Punjab with Gurmukhi script. Diljit posted his look on Instagram and wrote, “MAIN HOON ਪੰਜਾਬ 😇🙏🏽 #metgala. Inspired by The Theme of Black Dandyism, I Bring My Turban, My Culture & My Mother Tongue “ ਪੰਜਾਬੀ “ to The MET GALA. Thank You So Much Dear @prabalgurung @theannawintour @cartier @golecha_jewels @abhilashatd”. Well, who cares about Cartier anyway who tried to be a spoilsport by not lending him the grand necklace that they had stolen from the Maharaja of Patiala. The singer-actor made heads turns with his Maharaja inspired look, designed by Prabal Gurung. Now, Diljit has been voted the Best dressed celeb at the world's biggest fashion event in a poll by Vogue, beating fashionistas like Zendaya and Rihanna.

This time , Cartier, you lost grandly , and Diljit won so superbly. 

Showcasing his tradition with style, the best of Sikhism , the best of India, and was simply speaking, the best at the Met Gala too. So, without a doubt, my vote and my heart , both go out to his look, being such a beautiful blend of tradition and modernity.   Come to think of it, isn't that a true reflection of India too ?The blend of traditions, of religions, of arts and crafts, with modernity.. through Silicon valley, Unicorns and brilliant economic progress… isn't that unique to india ? Not just a country, she is a world of her own, being such a beautiful mix of cultures and traditions. Much like the sky, she draws from a variety of colours and hues , each with its unique style,  and creates an aura so beautiful, somewhat reminsicent of the Aurora Borealis..

Makes me wonder  why the rest of the so called Bollywood “stars” - Alia, Aishwarya, Srk, Kiara, and our talented designers, never thought of showcasing our crafts before . Kanjeevaram, Banarasi, Maheswari, Paithani, you name it, we have so much history and beauty woven into our art, craft and textiles from time immemorial.. Maybe someone will, taking a leaf from Prabal Gurung, follow the next time round. For it always takes someone with guts and belief to start the trend..

Well done, Gurung and Diljit for being the flagbearers and proudly etching her mark on the Metgala forever with indelible ink, the mark of  India..

Regards, 

Aina Rao

The amblingindian- Quirky blog/books on india by a new common woman of India 

Celebrating, Discovering and enjoying India through quirky reads

**Ek Kudi from Udta punjab here - Another incredible masterpiece from the very bold Director Anurag Kashyap and hugely talented music maker - Amit Trivedi :

"Important disclaimer , The amblingindian is simply a huge unpaid fan of both and of India !"

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