Two Indias meet quite symbiotically despite their contrasts in the lush forested villages of Eastern India. In Saraikela (Jharkhand), Purulia (West Bengal), and Mayurbhanj (Odisha), 12 tribal artists acting as guardians of one of India’s centuries-old mythical dance-theatre form Chhau, are seen draped in luxurious Banarasi georgettes and crepe. Their dynamic and lyrical dance movements are elevated by the fine silk’s electrifying colour palette — zesty rouge, tangerine, Indian red, neon green, purple, and cobalt blue.

Seeing the people of the forest wear the finest silks may seem like a striking contrast. But for Khushi Shah, Creative Director, Shanti Banaras, this is the most “profound collaboration” yet since the young brand’s inception in 2019. It stands on three pillars that both define Chhau tradition and her label’s philosophy — nature is teacher, community is strength, and choosing heritage is a form of resistance. “Just as Chhau artists express their struggles and stories through dance that’s linked to their identity, similarly, Banarasi weaves are linked to our brand identity. We have found creative synergy with these artists by preserving and celebrating India’s heritage,” Shah tells us on her new campaign ‘Chhau By Shanti’ that has taken over the internet with stunning pictures.

The Inspiration

Shah’s inspiration for the collection came from in-depth reading about Indian culture. “In all our campaigns, we have tried to be very unique in terms of storytelling. Generally, we craft the sarees first and then create a campaign, as seen in our ‘Roar’ collection. But this time, we wanted to pick up a concept first and then curate a collection according to the idea. And Chhau is a concept that people come across but don’t pay much attention to,” she says about the art form famous in Eastern India that blends mythological tales of the Mahabharat, Ramayana, and local folklore with abstract themes and is intimately connected to the spring festival of Chaitra Parva.

The campaign producer, Harsha Sinha’s a connection to Jharkhand, further deepening interest in this collaboration. “Sinha explained to us how she knows people from different communities who perform Chhau and can bring them together. We got in touch with Chhau dance teacher Uma Kumari from Jharkhand, who connected us with the students learning this dance form. We did not want to do a general model shoot and wanted to be experimental by working with real artistes in the most unassuming of places like Jamshedpur.”

FashionXArt Crossover

The campaign puts the aboriginal world of Chhau dance communities in harmony with luxe contemporary drapes under the creative direction and photography of Pranoy Sarkar and fashion direction and styling by Jahnvi Bansal. In one captivating image, dancer Suraj Hembram from Kharsawan performs the Saraikela style of Chhau, capturing the mythological tale of Parvathi’s wrath while offering herself into the sacrificial fire at the yajna of King Daksha Prajapati. The goddesses disheveled hair, furious eyes and raging Roudra form is matched with bright yellow and tangerine Banarasi sarees.  Another dancer, Tala Baske from Rajnagar, is draped in a neon green Banarasi weave reimagining the potlis  that tribal communities tie to their sarees to hold food and essentials when they are on the move. In another image, Chhau artist Kirti Munda is draped in a bright yellow saree worn over a basket made of bamboo, paying homage to the bamboo weaving traditions of the Santhal and Munda tribes.

“We’ve worked with lots of our scrap fabrics. But most, most importantly, we’ve worked with our Khaddi georgette sarees, which are lighter and flowy, making it easier for the dancers to make their formations and to move around. The collection has rich Katan silk sarees with Meenakari detailing, gold zari bootis, Parisian botanical motifs, resham work, soft silver zari work and more. We have very strategically chosen the brightest colours adorned with floral and geometrical patterns,” says Shah.

Preservation: An armour against erasure

For Shah, fashion‘s highest purpose is not merely adornment, but preservation of culture and amplification of voices that might otherwise be lost. This sense of preservation often forms the core of her inspiration for new collections. Previously, the brand’s campaign ‘Akathya’ (2021) had championed the empowerment of the trans community, where Shanti Banaras collaborated with 18 trans women from Coimbatore. Later, the ‘Roar’ (2023) campaign highlighted wildlife conservation with tiger motifs on opulent Banarasi weaves featuring silvery Badia work.

This time by spotlighting the Chhau dance form, we ask Shah if she’s become habituated of making people stop by her dramatic campaigns. “All our campaigns are inspired by real-life stories. That adds authenticity and originality to the concept. With ‘Akathya’ we wanted to show how the trans community is already elevated. We just need to celebrate and accept them. With Chhau artistes, we try to communicate about our brand through their narrative. Just like the Chhau artistes who value their life-giving rivers, soil, hills and forests, we as a Shanti family are also committed to sustainable practices. Also, Chhau, once rooted in martial arts, serves as cultural armor, protecting identity against erasure. This spirit of preservation also echoes in our brand’s mission to keep traditional Indian crafts alive in a rapidly modernising world,” Shah says on portraying the “diversity and richness of Indian culture” that holds more weightage than just “mastering the art of selling sarees.”

Turning tables in the luxury sector

Shah, in her free time, loves to watch ads! They “drive her creatively”. She tells us how luxury brand storytelling has evolved post-pandemic, “In the last two to three years, India has become very active in terms of their brand storytelling. True luxury in today’s time depends on how you want to portray your brand in a distinguishable way. We have gradually found our footing as a fairly young band in the luxury sector by keeping authenticity, identity, experimentation, material, and visual presentation at the core of Shanti Banaras. For instance, for the Chhau campaign, it is not just the artists but even the location of shoot, Jamshedpur, that was key to storytelling. I was astonished to see the beauty of hand-painted mud houses. You don’t get to see such work anywhere else, no matter how many trips abroad you make! So to work with real artists and a unique location was instrumental to our storytelling.”

She adds that it’s an exciting time for the Indian luxury industry. Homegrown brands are finding their “own voice” with unique storytelling. “From the famous Kolhapuri chappals to Madras checks, our artistry is being recognised at a global scale. Indians are finally claiming what was already theirs. I’m also seeing so many designers putting out content only on social media without a retail presence. Their engagement and reach is so high as people are understanding how much time and craft goes into the making of timeless pieces. I want to tell young brands to continue doing what you are doing, and the world is already building a platform for you.”