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Vidya Balan paid tribute to legendary singer M S Subbulakshmi on her 108th birth anniversary by recreating some of her iconic looks.
With the help of costume designer Anu Parthasarathy, Vidya seems to transport us to another era.
'On her 108th birth anniversary, I feel honoured and overjoyed to be able to pay a photographic tribute to "BHARAT RATNA " MS Subbulakshmi (MS Amma), famously referred to as The 'Queen of Music' by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and as the 'Nightingale of India' by Sarojini Naidu,' Vidya writes.
'This is a humble homage by @anuparthasarathy & me to the legend MS Subbulakshmi - The Original Style icon, who carried off with great aplomb, an appearance that was a study in simplicity , adding to the allure of her mellifluous voice.
'This feature showcases four sarees that MS Amma wore & popularised between the 60's & the 80's and is a portrayal of MS Amma's concert persona.'
'If the rich, vibrant and unique sarees were one half of MS Amma's appearance, the other half was the simple accessory ensemble including the traditional kumkumam and vibhuti on her forehead, the 2 distinctive nose pins on either side, and the mallipoo (jasmine) adorned kondai (bun).
'Many a THANK YOU's are due in the realization of this heartfelt endeavour. Thank you so much @sikkilmala ma'am (renowned flautist and granddaughter-in-law of M.S.Subbulakshmi ) for your invaluable guidance & insights.'
'And how can i thank you enough @anuparthasarathy for coming up with the idea of doing this when i expressed my long cherished dream to play M.S Amma.
'I appreciate your passion for detail and your patience over 7 years in seeing this through to fruition ...Nandree Anu ma'am.'
The credit for creating MS Subbulakshmi's look goes to the following:
Photographer : @rohnpingalay
Hair stylist: @bhosleshalaka
Make-up artist : @harshjariwala158
Weaving coordinator: @thesstudioclothing
Saree draper: @durga_cine_saree_drappist
Assistant drape artist: @shivani_mohanakrishnan
Location: @tajhotels @tajmahalmumbai, This couldn't have been done elsewhere... so Thank you team Taj for supporting us through the shoot in every which way
My mom's friend @homebyrenu for being kind enough to let us use her mothers tanpura
Manager : @sandhu_aditi for sparing no effort in making it happen the way we wanted it.
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Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/Rediff.com
