CROWNING GLORY

In an exclusive conversation with Bazaar India Editor NANDINI BHALLA, actor and pageant-winner MANUSHI CHHILLAR who made her debut at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, talks about her evolving definition of beauty, the power of collaboration, and what brings her unbridled joy.

- NANDINI BHALLA

Nandini Bhalla: Manushi, you debuted at the Cannes Film Festival this year. How was the experience?

Manushi Chhillar: “Cannes was as exciting, busy, and chaotic as one would assume...My experience was fun; it was entirely different from the film festivals and red carpet soirées I have attended in India. Although, I have to say, Cannes is an organised chaos—each person has a specified time slot, and everybody is punctual. Everything begins and ends on time...it is well-balanced.”

NB: Tell me a bit about that dress that you wore for your debut...

MC: “Well, actually, we didn’t take the dress from India. The moment we landed, my stylist and I knew that we would get into fittings...We were running around from one place to the other, meeting up with different designers, going over shortlisted outfits, and nothing seemed to be working. My stylist, Sheefa, began panicking; and that is when I said to her, ‘I just need to look presentable...We’ll figure it out.’ When we came back to our hotel, she pulled out a white dress that had flown in from London and asked me to try it on... I knew I did not want to do a ‘big outfit’. I wanted something simple and elegant. When I put it on and saw myself in the mirror, I knew this is it—we had found the outfit.”

NB: You mentioned that you are a fairly calm person...Do you tend to approach most situations in life with this calm demeanour?

MC: “The nature of our work is chaotic, and with time, you get used to it. I don’t think I have ever freaked out in front of people...even if I am nervous from within, people don’t pick up on it. I try to balance out the energy across my team.”