Chitrangda Singh: I have been classic when it comes to silhouettes

Grace, elegance and class—these words define the aura and fashion persona of actor Chitrangda Singh quite appropriately. Ask her how she sees it and she says, “Fashion has been slightly instinctive for me. Having an army background, I used to see my mum and all these beautiful ladies around, being very feminine, proper and classic. Those are the things that stick in your head, and they form your own style. That’s why I have been very classic when it comes to my silhouettes and what I like.”

The actor admits that she is “more informed” now, and “instinctively, I go for something classic and slightly understated elegant”. “I like being feminine but not too sexual or trying too many fads,” she says, adding that her mother is her biggest fashion critic.

The way Singh carries a saree is a sight to behold, but the 47-year-old credits it all to the piece of clothing. She insists, “Everyone looks sexy in a saree. You put it on anyone, and it just suddenly transforms you into a very feminine, sexual, delicate being. For my first film (Hazaaron Khwaishein Aisi; 2003), I was in a saree, so that one thing kind of distinctly defined me as an actor at that time as I had minimal make up and accessories. Before me, there were Smita (Patil, actor) ji and Shabana (Azmi, actor) ji. I am not the first one, but sarees with me have been special.”

While for many actors, their characters can influence their fashion sense, but for Singh, it was the other way round. “In Inkaar (2013), my character was a very strong woman, who is also feminine and not trying to be a man. The dresses that I wore were very fitted, understated, not covered yet still very structured. That’s something that I wanted to do, that was my fashion sense,” she reveals.

Talk about her films and Singh admits that her filmography has a lesser number of films to her credit than what she would have liked. Ask her the reason behind it and she says, “It’s the lack of good offers. I am here to work but I don’t want to work for the sake of it. Obviously, everyone needs money, but you don’t want to compromise on your creative choices and how you see yourself and your potential.” However, Singh adds that with the voices around, it did get difficult at times to stick her ground. “Sometimes word goes around that ‘arre, ye to difficult hai’, and you get all kinds of labels like ‘arrogant’ and ‘stubborn’ very easily, just because you don’t want to adhere to the norms. But I found these labels very weird because I love cinema,” she says.

The actor thanks her audience for keeping her always relevant. “No matter however much you work, there will only be those four or five films that people will remember you for. Today, everything has become about numbers, but eventually, the audience will remember what they have connected with and thankfully, I have done a few such roles that the audience has connected with,” she says.

Creative Director and Producer: Shara Ashraf Prayag

Stylist: Leepakshi Ellawadi

Styling Assistant: Arpita Advani

Talent Coordination: Kavita Awaasthi

Photos: Vidhi Godha

Hair and Makeup: Severine Perina

Production Assistants: Shweta Sunny, Zahera Kayanat and Yashasvi Pandey

Location: Intercontinental Marine Drive Mumbai