Choreographer Sajna Najam curated an event in Thiruvananthapuram celebrating Nawabi culture and couture

In an immersive artistic experience, 45 women from Thiruvananthapuram came together, dressed in their best, to participate in a themed event, Layali (meaning nights in Arabic), which celebrated the aesthetics of Nawabi culture and couture that existed mainly in Hyderabad, Lucknow and Lahore in the late 19th and early 20th century.

The inspiration was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix series, Heeramandi, a visual extravangaza that showcased the couture of that period, which included flowing anarkalis, richly-embroidered shararas and lehengas in silks, chiffons and tussars, accessorised with heavy jhumkas, maang tikkas, passa and layered neck pieces, bangles and naths.