Karan Torani, who designed ensembles for Vijay Deverakonda and Rashmika Mandanna’s mehendi and Pradhanam rituals, has opened up on his discussions with the couple before creating the outfits.
He shared, “Six months in the making, hundreds of sketches, endless conversations and trials – a journey that began with a simple call from my dear friend and stylist @stylebyami. My first impression of @thedeverakonda and @rashmika_mandanna was their rare gentleness. Beneath the scale of their stardom lies a disarming humility – the kind that reveals itself in small moments. I remember Rashmika’s very first message to me, addressing me as “sir,” something I had to laugh away because we are almost the same age. But in that small gesture was something deeply beautiful.. a respect for craft and for the many invisible hands that bring a creation to life. Through months of trials, sketches, colour explorations and endless conversations, they allowed me the freedom to truly open my wings – drawing inspiration from their roots in Coorg, Mysore and the Deccan to build garments that felt less like clothes and more like moving canvases of Indian mythology, devotion and celebration. What moved me even more deeply was the warmth of their families. I had the privilege of dressing their fathers and siblings for the mehendi as well, and being welcomed with such affection during the celebrations. In moments like those you realise that what we create as designers is far more than fabric and embroidery – it becomes part of a memory that will live in someone’s life forever.”
He also shared how both the ensembles were created. For Rashmika’s outfit, Karan noted, “So we turned to the artistic language of the South – Tanjore painting, with its jewel tones, temple arches and luminous gold. In these paintings, Lakshmi sits within a sacred shrine surrounded by symbols of prosperity. That became our inspiration. A bejewelled corset paired with a draped dhoti skirt and a Lakshmi odhna – a garment imagined almost like a moving shrine, celebrating colour, devotion and the exuberance that Torani stands for.”
As for Vijay, he wanted to make the ensemble as comfortable as possible. “I wanted Vijay’s ensemble to honour that heritage while interpreting it through a Torani lens. A draped veshti paired with a relaxed kurta and embroidered jacket – allowing him to sit, laugh, dance and celebrate freely through the evening. The jacket became a storytelling surface. Tiny embroidered windows held parrots, elephants and peacocks – motifs drawn from Indian temple iconography. The kamarbandh carried handwork and embellishment, reminding us of something we often forget: historically, the Indian man was never minimal. He was expressive, ornamental and proud of craft,” he added.
Take a look at Vijay and Rashmika’s ensembles from the mehendi ceremony below:
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