Margazhi on the ramp: Classical stars shine under couture spotlight

As Chennai ushers in the December music season, on Sunday night, a ramp show featuring prominent names from the classical music and dance community, transformed into a celebration of culture, tradition and fashion. From veterans like Aruna Sairam, Padma Subrahmanyam, Anita Ratnam, to younger talents like Sriranjani Santhanagopalan, Rithvik Raja and Soorya Gayathri, among others, everyone brought their undeniable presence to the stage, this time, not as performers but as models dressed up in meticulously curated traditional ensembles.
There was also some filmi flavour, with actors Prasanna and Sneha walking the ramp as showstoppers. And towards the end of the show, actress-director Suhasini Maniratnam engaged in a light-hearted conversation with the artistes and audiences.
'To make a fashion statement through Carnatic music is tremendous'
Talking about the integration of fashion with Carnatic music, Sikkil Gurucharan stated, “Fashion ramp walk is usually confined to people outside the music and dance industry. So, to make a fashion statement through Carnatic music and musicians, to make a statement that Carnatic music is as fashionable and relevant to the modern times, as any other art form of the word, is tremendous. If this experience translates to more rasikas in the auditorium, that will be a huge win.”
‘Such events help artistes bond’
Sharing their experience, almost every artiste felt that this event was a fun way to bond with their peers. “Sitting together and having chai and some snacks or biscuits, and bonding... I think that was the most exciting part. The ramp walk is the external part, but the deeper part of such an event is that it creates a bonding between artists, which it’s very important. It gives you a feeling of belonging,” shared Aruna Sairam. “During Margazhi, although we, artistes, are in Chennai, we don’t really get to meet each other, but we did it now through this event,” said Mahathi. Echoing the same sentiment, Anil Srinivasan also remarked, “Last year, while a lot of people found it nice, we also got trolled. There are people who look like this at something in a fun and positive light, but the opposite could also happen. I think it’s not going to be any different this time.”