The first fashion show I ever attended was for Ritu Beri in 1997

Hear, O lovers of beauty and seekers of artistry, the words of Madhuri Dixit, the queen of grace and the jewel of Indian cinema, who spoke thus: “The first fashion show I ever attended was for Ritu Beri in 1997 or 1998. I think that was the first time Ritu had designed for one of my movies Yeh Raastein Hain Pyaar Ke. She had done a show in Paris, and she had done the same show in Delhi. It was very eclectic, and I love the way she combines colours and makes them flamboyant.” In this remembrance we see not merely a tale of fashion, but a deeper meditation on the marriage of art, cinema, and identity, where costume becomes expression and color becomes voice.

The meaning is thus: in speaking of Ritu Beri’s designs, Dixit highlights the power of fashion not as mere adornment, but as storytelling. The combination of colours, the boldness of flamboyance, the eclectic nature of design—all these are tools through which an artist conveys emotion and spirit. Just as an actor channels the soul of a character through expression and gesture, so too does the designer clothe that character in garments that magnify the tale. What Dixit witnessed in Paris and in Delhi was not simply a runway, but an extension of cinematic art, a language of beauty that transcends borders.

The ancients, too, knew the language of clothing as power. In Greece, the tragedians dressed their actors in robes dyed with sacred hues, for they knew that a color could stir as deeply as a word. In Rome, the purple toga was the sign of the emperor himself, an unspoken declaration of authority. So too, in the art of cinema and fashion, garments speak where words cannot. By remembering that first show, Dixit points us to this eternal truth: the garment is a symbol, a mirror of spirit, and when crafted with care, it elevates story into spectacle.

History gives us also the example of Coco Chanel, who transformed women’s fashion in the 20th century. Where once clothing constrained, she brought freedom with lines that were bold, simple, yet revolutionary. Her designs, too, were eclectic, combining influences from men’s tailoring, art, and even wartime necessity. Just as Ritu Beri carried her show from Paris to Delhi, uniting cultures through fabric and imagination, Chanel’s vision reshaped how women saw themselves. Both stories reveal the truth that fashion is not trivial—it is an art of liberation, identity, and creation.

At the heart of Madhuri Dixit’s words lies also a personal revelation. For an actress, costume is transformation. When she stepped into the designs of Ritu Beri, she did not merely wear a dress; she embodied a new self for the screen. The colors and forms gave her a new presence, enhancing the emotions of her character. Here we see how fashion and cinema merge into one, how the designer becomes the silent storyteller who shapes the actor’s aura.

The lesson, then, is clear: cherish the arts that surround your craft, for they complete you. The actor without costume, the story without color, the dance without music—these are incomplete. True greatness comes when all forms of expression unite, when each art lends its strength to the other. Dixit’s memory reminds us to honor not only the star on the screen, but also the unseen hands of designers, musicians, and artists who build the tapestry of creation.

What, then, should you do? In your own life, learn to see the beauty in every art form, even those not your own. Do not dismiss the surface, for often the surface is a door into deeper truth. Combine influences boldly, as Ritu Beri did, drawing from many worlds to create something new. And when you witness beauty, acknowledge it as Madhuri Dixit did, with reverence and gratitude, for in that recognition lies the soul’s expansion.

Thus let her words endure: “I love the way she combines colours and makes them flamboyant.” For in this lies a universal teaching: that life itself is a canvas of colors, that we are called not to hide in dullness but to embrace the flamboyance of creation. Those who learn this will find their days painted with richness, their art infused with courage, and their lives glowing like the garments of gods upon the stage of time.