Abhijith Chanda

Backstage at The India Story 2025, Kolkata.

I had the privilege of leading hair and makeup for the fashion show this year .Each look was approached with restraint and purpose, designed to enhance the craftsmanship and quiet strength of the silhouettes.

Deeply grateful to the Neotia Art Trust for this opportunity, and for creating a platform that celebrates authentic, homegrown narratives with such elegance.

Thank you for staying with this story, and for seeing it the way it was meant to be seen.

This began as a feeling I carried quietly.
In a time where everything moves fast, where brides are often asked to fit into the same silhouettes, the same formulas,
I wanted to pause and ask a different question.
What if bridal beauty was allowed to feel personal again?

This was never about recreating a look.
It was about building one.
Layer by layer. Moment by moment.
Letting emotion lead instead of trends.

None of this would exist without artists who believe in collaboration over competition.
DevRNil, Kriplani Jewellers, Abhijeet Das, Vermilion Diaries
each brought their own voice, without trying to overpower the story.
The timeless grace of The Lalit Great Eastern held the vision with quiet dignity.
And Oyendrila Das ensured the journey stayed true,supporting, and allowing the story to breathe.

This bride may not have been real,
but the intention was.
The process was.
The emotion was.

If this story encourages even one artist to slow down,
to trust their instinct,
to create from honesty rather than imitation, then this was worth telling.

This is not an ending.
It’s an invitation.

I wanted you to meet her like this.
A little later in the day.
When the light begins to soften.

Sangeet didn’t arrive with the night this time.
It came quietly, while the sun was still around, when everything feels a little softer and people are more themselves.

Golden light brushing past her shoulders.
Music drifting in without asking for attention.
A bride who wasn’t performing a moment, but living it.

Dev r Nil dressed her in movement and ease, a silhouette made to breathe with the evening.
Kripalani Jewellers followed the light, choosing pieces that caught the sun without trying to outshine it.
Abhijit Das let her hair stay fluid and free, responding to the breeze rather than resisting it.
Vermilion Diaries stayed close but unseen, finding her between laughter, pauses, and glances that said enough.

Nothing demanded its place.
Everything belonged.

This wasn’t a Sangeet as we usually know it.
It was softer. Warmer. More instinctive.

This is her story, continuing.
And you’re right on time.

P.S: The Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata lent the day its timeless grace.
Oyendrila Das kept everything beautifully aligned.
[Bridal Makeup by Abhijit Chanda, Wedding Story, Destination Wedding, Kolkata Wedding]