Aimee slays in Assamese pat silk Mekhela chador at Cannes red carpet

CANNES: Actor-filmmaker Aimee Baruah for the second year in a row walked the red carpet in a Mekhela chador, a traditional Assamese outfit.

On Wednesday, Animee slayed the red and black pat silk Mekhela chador, a traditional Assamese attire on the red carpet.

Walking the red carpet as part of the Indian contingent, especially from the northeast Aimee told ANI about her choice of apparel, she said “At the red carpet you either choose to wear a gown or can wear traditional outfit. I choose to showcase before the world, the rich tradition of my home state Assam. Last year I wore a muga silk mekhela and this year it’s pat silk that I chose.”

Procured locally from local women artists and weavers from Jalukbari which is the home constituency of Assam CM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma, Aimee took the help of budding designer Adityam to complete her outfit.

“This Mekhla itself is traditional and wants to keep its authenticity in place. I did not prefer to make much changes. Therefore I asked Adityam to keep it simple yet elegant.”

Just like last year this time too. The actor got a lot of positive response from the Cannes film festival circuit.

Sharing her experience, she said, ” The response was completely overwhelming and many people wanted to find out more about the traditional outfit and textile of my home. State Assam which was a moment of great pride for me.”

Pat Silk is the mulberry silk of Assam which is used to make products like mekhelas, chadors and other textiles. These silk outfits are worn by women during weddings and important celebratory functions.

Baruah who is married to a politician and minister in the Assam government Pijush Hazarika, won two national awards for her directorial debut for a Dimasa-language film ‘Semkhor’ at the 68th National Film Awards.

Last year, when she made her debut at Cannes, Aimee was the first actor from Assam to have achieved that feat.

Cannes Film Festival 2023 started on May 16 and will conclude on May 27. Established in 1946, the festival serves as a platform for filmmakers to showcase their works and compete for prestigious awards, including the Palme d’Or, which is the highest prize awarded at the festival.