The most recent saree moment of Rashmika Mandanna came with a fascinating background this time. The actress rocked the classic M.S. blue shade, paying homage to the famous Carnatic singer M.S. Subbulakshmi. Rashmika’s saree managed to create a conversation between cinema, music, culture, and heritage by combining authenticity and exquisite colour, confirming the opinion that the best celebrity fashion pieces have a story behind them.
The price for this drape on Aikyatha is Rs 49,999 for its Silk Mark-registered Suswaram collection. The actress opted for the Shankarabharanam Kanjeevaram silk saree for her first look from Aikyatha’s Suswaram Raga Edition. What made this saree special was its design, inspired not only by Subbulakshmi’s colour palette, but also by the classical music itself. The handwoven silk varied from deep MS blue at the start to a deep royal purple. It also featured beautifully done zari work and temple motifs, creating the richness of this traditional South Indian silk saree.
The origin of this shade is attributed to 1951, when Subbulakshmi brought a blue thread to Nalli’s store to order a saree in that shade, leading the weavers to recreate it in Kanchipuram silk. S. Subbulakshmi had already established her own visual trademark. Her performances were synonymous with intricately woven Kanchipuram silks, traditional gold ornaments, flowers in her hair, and a simple but dignified beauty. However, the shade strongly associated with her is blue. The particular shade known as MS Blue is defined as a unique deep blue that matched the sarees Subbulakshmi wore on stage.
Long before the term ‘celebrity style’ was even coined, M.
Because of the shade that represented her, i.e., MS Blue, while the second saree represented the designer’s own take on Kanchipuram silk sarees, which Subbulakshmi was known to wear throughout her life, the first outfit tells the audience that it is Subbulakshmi’s drape. ‘M.S.—A Legacy On Screen’ will be released on Subbulakshmi’s 110th birthday. Both outfits managed to communicate the same message but with different hues. The choice of clothing gets further amplified by the film itself.