3 min readNew DelhiJun 29, 2026 03:01 PM IST
Celebrity makeup artist Namrata Soni recently opened up about the creative journey behind one of Sonam Kapoor’s most memorable Cannes Film Festival appearances: the Anamika Khanna sari look that went on to become a defining moment on the prestigious red carpet.
In a podcast with luxury lifestyle influencer Masoom Minawala, Soni described it as her “most iconic and most favourite” creation with the Neerja actor and her sister and stylist, Rhea Kapoor. She opened up about how the team wanted to create something deeply rooted in Indian identity while still fitting the grandeur of an international red carpet.
“My most iconic and most favourite look was the Anamika Khanna sari with the cape, where we did a liner and a berry lip. That embodied India through and through,” Soni said.
Further, she explained that the styling process involved close collaboration from the very beginning among Sonam, Rhea, and her. She revealed that they were intentional about presenting a distinctly Indian aesthetic rather than following global fashion and makeup trends.
“We knew it was going to be a saree. We knew that we wanted it to be very Indian, but we still wanted it to work on an international red carpet,” she told Minawala.
Sonam Kapoor’s berry lips look at Cannes
Soni recalled that at the time, only a handful of celebrities were making it to international red-carpet events, making the pressure to create something memorable even greater. The final look featured a dramatic winged liner, a statement nath, and an unexpected berry lip.
“She (Rhea) gave me an idea that we want to be Indian, but we wanted to have a slightly different feel, which is where the berry lip came in because most of the time we would always do a winged liner with either a nude lip or a very bright red lip in India. But we wanted it to be something different. So, we used a very beautiful berry lip on her,” Soni shared.
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Despite the look eventually becoming iconic, Soni revealed that trend-setting was never the goal. “We never did a look because we wanted it to become iconic. We did it because we loved creating it,” she said.
Reflecting on Sonam’s approach to fashion, Soni credited the actor’s willingness to experiment and prioritise self-expression over trends. “I don’t think Sonam, Rhea, and I ever did a look because we wanted it to become iconic. We did it because we wanted to create it,” she said.
“And I think that spoke volumes, and why Sonam is where she is as the Goddess of looks in our country. She never did look because, oh, let’s try this because it will become a trend. She did it because it made her feel beautiful, and she wanted to do something different and have fun with it,” Soni added.