Rediff.com's Tista Sengupta finds out what some top designers have to say about Brahmani Reddy's much-hyped Rs 17 crore wedding sari.
Photograph: Kind courtesy Babu Reddy M/Facebook
Let's look at some numbers.
Rs 17 crores (Rs 170 million).
Rs 90 crores (Rs 900 million).
Rs 500 crores (Rs 5 billion).
No, we are not listing black money amounts that people are scurrying around to convert into white after PM Modi's dramatic announcement on November 8.
We are talking about the shockingly extravagant amounts spent at a recent wedding.
The ostentatiousness displayed by former Karnataka minister and controversial mining baron Gali Janardhan Reddy would have raised millions of eyebrows on any day, but, with the nation counting pennies and wasting precious man hours in serpentine queues, it seems shockingly callous.
The Huffington Post India reported that Reddy gifted his daughter Brahmani a Rs 17 crore sari for her wedding, which was held on November 16.
Photographs circulated on the Internet show Brahmani draped in the red Kanjivaram, which she matched with diamond jewellery worth Rs 90 crore!
Brahmani's wedding, which reportedly cost Rs 500 crore was held at the Bangalore Palace Grounds, Bengaluru.
We were intrigued by the sari's Rs 17,00,00,000 price tag and wondered what it could have been made of.
Rediff.com's Tista Sengupta spoke to some top designers to find out more.
Neeti Singh
There definitely has to be some kind of ornamentation on the sari. It might be handcrafted with diamonds and Swarovski (crystals).
A special yarn must have been used to create it. I have seen yarn made from pearls.
It's possible that yarn made of beaten gold, called varak, is spun into the sari.
It's possible that the sari has been woven in a way that requires a lot of time and effort.
I remember (actress) Rekhaji wearing a sari made of gold and it cost lakhs (of rupees). It was the fabric that made Rekhaji's sari so expensive.
If Brahmani's sari has ornamentation on it, I think, after wearing it on her wedding day, she might want to auction it for a good cause.
She can even upcycle it to create something simple.
The pallu can be cut and made into a jacket, the body (of the sari) into a lehenga and the border can be used for an anarkali.
But the ornamentation (on the sari) won't last long.
Neeti Singh is head of design at Satya Paul.
Shaina NC
It's a criminal show of status. An ostentatious display of wealth that is completely unnecessary.
I have never heard of a sari worth Rs 17 crore.
As a designer, I think it's completely over the top. People need to be more tasteful.
Shaina NC is a Mumbai-based designer, BJP politician and social worker.
Gaurang Shah
I haven't seen it and don't know why it is so expensive.
Even if it has original zari work on it, the sari shouldn't cost more than Rs 3 lakh to Rs 4 lakh. I have made such saris myself.
I wonder if it has diamonds on it! Maybe it does.
I can't think of any celebrity who has worn such an expensive sari.
If I'm not wrong, she'll keep the sari and pass it on to her next generation.
Hyderabad-based Gaurang Shah specialises in high-end handcrafted saris and fashion apparel.
Payal Singhal
If someone can afford it, then why not?
Payal Singhal is known for her contemporary Indian clothing.
Amit Aggarwal
I expect the sari to be made using golden threads, just as it was done in the royal houses in the past.
According to me, it will be fully embroidered and a work of art.
It could be compared to the miniature paintings of Rajasthan, which were made using a single hair of a squirrel.
I have only seen such expensive saris in museums.
Amit Aggarwal specialises in ready-to-wear and couture. He has showcased his collection at fashion weeks in India and Paris.
