Tanwar arrived in Kathmandu on Friday evening and she had promised to unveil Radico’s new fashion ensemble on Saturday morning. Sadly, there was no one inside the ballroom at the given time other than the technicians. After waiting for around two and half hours, the invitees and journalists were finally relieved to see the event get underway at last.Model turned actress Nisha Adhikary started the event, but Tanwar was still not around. Sources said she had gone to bow before Pashupatinath Temple and it would take some time still for her to reach the launch venue. The curtain got raised despite her absence and amidst many technical hassles.
After much anticipation about what the new product would be like, the organizers finally uncovered their “very special fashion accessory”. It was Radico’s different styles of “bindi” (A decoration, often a red dot, traditionally worn on the forehead by married Hindu women and now also by other Asian women and girls in different color and shape varieties).
Radico Fashion Private Limited is an international company which has been producing herbal hair colors and hair styling creams with natural ingredients. It has spread its wings to 45 countries worldwide. Now it also wants to get into skin fashion. That was why the fashion house also promoted some imitation tattoos (mehendi) during the launch program.
It must have been quite embarrassing for emcee Nisha Adhikary when Tanwar failed to appear on stage despite repeated invitations. Meanwhile, chief guest Dr Arzu Rana Deuba lit the traditional oil lamp to begin the program. And then the much awaited Sakshi Tanwar also showed up to grace the show. Wearing a beautifully embroidered satin-silk sari, quite like those lavish things she wore for her serial and with a heavy jhumka falling to her neckline, Tanwar walked up the ramp to launch the bindis.
“Sabko Mera Pyaarbhara Namaskar (Warm greetings to everyone). Your country is as beautiful as you all are,” she made it short and went on to unveil Radico’s new bindis.
“These are a beautiful accessory. They make traditional Hindu women look so cultural and they complete us. I thought bindis, mehendis and tikas were only popular in India. I’m pleased to learn that these things play equal value in Nepali women’s life too. After all, we share a lot in common. Don’t we?” Tan war said and smiled gracefully.
Additionally, many other guests at the extravaganza shared their views on how the relationship between women and bindis has grown stronger over the years. How they play a major role in women’s life, depict their pride and personality and how they complete the make up ensembles for any women or even for teenagers now.
To that added Arzu Rana Deuba, “Fashion and presentation are so important for women in their lives. While I was doing my PhD in India, faculty members often asked me why I was so much into fashion than my studies. I asked them not to judge me by my looks. That’s another part of my personality. Women can’t simply keep themselves away from fashion. And on top of that bindis make us feel so complete.”
The surprise of the event was not bindis, actually. Things took an interesting turn when our very own Nepali models and movie heroines did the catwalk. Actress Rejina Uprety, Mahima Pokharel and promising models like Hema Shrestha, Kunchhang Moktan, Kalpana Shrestha and Eliza Giri stole the show stomping the ramp flaunting Mehndi designs and bindis. Not to miss were the beautiful dresses they were adorned in. Special mention goes to the students of batch five at Namuna College of Fashion Technology (NCFT) who came with their creative evening gowns and one-piece designs that looked so carefully constructed.
“We’ll soon come up with seasonal skin care products,” confided Sanjeev Dutta, managing director of Radico Fashion Private Limited, and Sakshi Tanwar promised to return to Nepal and exploring more the country and its natural beauties. As the event ended, Tanwar disappeared as quickly as she could without compensating for the time she made people wait for her. Many in the audience looked disappointed because they wanted to take photographs with their favorite teleserial actress.
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