‘Param Sundari’: Janhvi’s phoolon-ki-chadar saree is peak method-dressing

Janhvi Kapoor and Sidharth Malhotra are busy promoting 'Param Sundari' and we are super impressed with Janhvi's stylish avatars at her many promotional events. For her latest promotional outing, Kapoor wore a gorgeous saree designed by Torani. The saree looked like a phoolon ki chaadar — a floral canopy traditionally held over a bride during her wedding procession. Is this another attempt at method dressing? Let us break down her look!

What is Phoolon ki Chaadar?

In North Indian weddings, a phoolon ki chaadar (floral canopy) is more than décor, it’s a heartfelt tradition. As the bride walks under it, held aloft by close family, it symbolises love, care, and lifelong protection. This chaadar signifies that the bride has grown up under a lot of love and care and the walk shows that she is now leaving that protection to be with her groom, stepping into a new phase of life.

The chaadar is generally and traditionally a dupatta with flowers entwined, but nowadays, the concept has been modernised. While some choose the traditional ones, some choose pearl-embellished ones.

While originally the phoolon ki chaadar is carried by the bride’s brothers, traditions have changed and now even sisters proudly carry the chaadar and walk their sibling to the aisle.

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Is this method dressing?

‘Param Sundari’ is a north-meets-south love story starring Sidhart and Janhvi. So, was Janhvi’s choice to wear a phoolon ki chaadar, a distinctly North Indian tradition, a deliberate nod to her film’s theme? It feels like a smart case of method dressing, blending cultural symbolism with promotional style.

This isn’t Kapoor’s first flirtation with method dressing. For the uninitiated, method dressing is the art of tailoring promotional outfits to reflect the themes, moods, or stories of a project. It’s where fashion becomes marketing.

Janhvi and her love for method dressing

If you’ve been following Kapoor’s press tours, you’ll notice a pattern. During the promotions for ‘Mr and Mrs Mahi’, she channeled cricket-inspired looks that nodded to her film’s sports theme. From athleisure-infused silhouettes to cricket jersey-inspired blouses, every outfit was a reference — subtle enough for style lovers, obvious enough for film buffs.

Not the first time non-fabric elements have been used

From Janhvi Kapoor to Radhika Merchant, many celebrities have ditched regular fabric for attire made with real flowers, pearls or grass. Like Janhvi, 2024 bride Radhika Merchant opted for a dupatta made with flowers.

Even Uorfi Javed, who is known for her hatke style, once made a dress from Chia seeds!

Another example is Jonathan Anderson’s spring/summer 2023 menswear collection for LOEWE. His 'grass coat' was a collaboration with Paula Ulargui Escalona, a bio-designer whose sustainable practices involve cultivating plants to grow on clothes in order to “raise awareness of our need to reconnect with nature."

Looks like clothes made of flowers and grass are the latest in fashion!