Radhika Bhirani (HINDUSTAN TIMES; February 11, 2020)

There wasn’t a trace of uneasiness in her when Nushrat Bharucha walked the red carpet at a recent event flaunting a pelvage dress — an ensemble that had a slit higher than the thigh-high routine. In this pursuit of “bringing sexy back” in Bollywood, the actor wasn’t only oozing oomph, but also a lot of confidence. The bold style statement she flaunted, won her compliments as well as some brickbats. However, Nushrat remains unperturbed.

“We have freedom of speech in our country. So, whatever anyone feels, they can put it out. But just like they’ve their opinion, what I want to wear is my right,” says Nushrat to the critics. She is happy that some fraternity members reached out, saying, “We’d never be able to do this, great that you could carry this off.”

The one-shoulder gown that gave a view of Nushrat’s intimate tattoo, made her feel nice and confident. “I did it for myself. I didn’t think people are going to praise me, or it will become the talk of the town. I wore a dress, attended the function, had fun, came home. I don’t get bothered at all. I don’t read the comments. I just put it out there and leave it,” adds the 34-year-old actor, who believes this confidence of being comfortable in one’s own skin is a result of her evolution in Bollywood.

This evolution, according to the Dream Girl (2019) actor, is “knowing who you are and what you’re trying to be”. “If this dress didn’t fit well or fall right, I wouldn’t be wearing it. It had nothing to do with how bold it was. If it didn’t look good on me, I would not have not worn it,” she explains.

Fashion, for Nushrat, is an extension of what she wants to express and it changes along with her mood. “When I put this dress on, I was comfortable in it, and that’s why I was able to carry it off. I knew what I was wearing, and I had to be careful,” adds the actor, who had grooved to the Chhote Chhote Peg song in Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018) wearing a skirt with a slit almost as high as this head-turning dress.

“The toughest part to wear any ensemble at a red carpet, are the heels because the next day, my legs are in severe pain. And all these long gowns are made to a certain length, and even if I wouldn’t want to wear high heels, I don’t have an option,” she continues, “And the easiest part is to own it. Once you own the outfit, everything becomes easy. If you wear an outfit and you cannot own it, my advice is don’t wear it. For me, the easiest part of this outfit was that I owned it from the minute I stepped out of the door to the time I was back... But, toughest part were the heels.”