Kiara Advani to be seen in a cameo in Masaba Masaba; plays a "self-obsessed version" of herself in Netflix mockumentary headlined by ace designer
Shaheen Parkar (MID-DAY; August 11, 2020)

Stars and couturiers are a classic case of can't live with them, can't live without them. Netflix's fictionalised series Masaba Masaba — which follows the stellar rise of Masaba Gupta as one of the biggest names in Indian fashion — also looks at the blow-hot-and-cold equation between designers and actors, sprinkling it with a generous dose of humour.

The series sees Kiara Advani play a typical Bollywood diva. Thrilled to collaborate with the streaming platform after Lust Stories (2018) and Guilty, the actor says she gave her nod in a heartbeat when producer Ashvini Yardi approached her for the cameo. "It was a fun and quirky role," says Advani, taken by the mockumentary style of the show.

In a sequence in the Sonam Nair-directed project, Advani's character is shown stepping into one of Gupta's stores to hand-pick an outfit for an event, where she has to look "drop-dead gorgeous." The scene highlights the inane questions that the B-Town star asks — 'Will this make me look thin? Do I have to drape it a certain way? Will the paparazzi get my right profile in it?' — while the designer tries to find the perfect ensemble that will be approved by the fashion police.

"Since it's a unique show, I was more than happy to do a cameo. I play a self-obsessed version of myself. It's like doing a spoof of yourself," laughs Advani, adding that sharing screen space with the "super chilled-out" Gupta was a delight.

The series, which drops online on August 28, traces the ace couturier's journey as she navigates love, life, career and friendships. It also marks her first on-screen outing with actor-mother Neena Gupta.