‘Painted 16 hours daily for a month like a sadhu’: Artist Jayasri Burman on creating Radhika Merchant’s hand-painted lehenga for her wedding to Anant Ambani

Radhika Merchant made her first appearance as part of the Ambani family on Saturday, adorned in a pink lehenga––a colour now synonymous with the family, often referred to as “Ambani pink”—crafted by designer duo Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla in collaboration with artist Jayasri Burman.

In a conversation with indianexpress.com, Burman revealed it took her an entire month––in her studio in Delhi’s Okhla––to bring this artwork to life. “I would paint 15-16 hours non-stop every day for a month – like a sadhu. It was a meditation of sorts, to ensure I could bring this vision to life,” Burman said.

The fauna adorning the garment pays homage to Anant’s affinity for the animal kingdom, especially elephants—a revered symbol of auspiciousness and beauty in Indian culture, Burman said. (Source: PR Handout)

The ensemble, infused with Burman’s signature style of mythological storytelling, depicts Anant’s union with Radhika through profound symbolism. Human figures, representing the newlyweds, exude a “celestial” glow, honouring the divine essence within their union. The fauna adorning the garment pays homage to Anant’s affinity for the animal kingdom, especially elephants—a revered symbol of auspiciousness and beauty in Indian culture, Burman said.

The painter, known for her feminist leanings, revealed her inspiration for the paintings on Radhika’s lehenga was the universe. “The sky knows all the traumas. But the Universe is still alive. I wanted to keep the positivity and let go of the negatives. As an artist, I’m giving them (the couple) happiness and hope,” she said.

“Sandeep (Khosla) told me ‘You don’t need to ask anyone anything’; I was heartened by the artistic freedom I was given. So, I worked on the canvas straight away with my pen and paints. There was no preliminary sketch involved,” Burman reveals.

When asked why she decided to embark on this journey with Radhika in the first place, Burman, admitting she initially had reservations, as this project was unlike anything she had done before, said it was the bride’s heartfelt request that moved her.

“Radhika had told me she wanted to hang the lehenga on her walls someday, so I wanted to do something long-lasting for her,” Burman said. (Source: PR Handout)

“I received a call from Rhea’s (Kapoor) team in May. We discussed the vision, and out of nowhere, Radhika joined the conversation. She told me how one of my paintings hangs in their Jamnagar home and about the love both she and Anant share for it. Radhika’s warmth and genuine energy made it impossible for me to refuse the offer,” Burman said.

The other reason she decided to work on the project was that both Rhea and Radhika, along with Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, “believed” in her. “When something touches your heart, you must act on it,” said Burman.

“I was in the South of France when the first call happened. I’d just visited the Musée Matisse and saw a small chapel with his paintings adapted into the habit of the priests. It inspired me to do the same for Radhika on her lehenga,” said Burman. “I’m in awe of our cultural heritage, and the legacy of our textiles, and I wanted to reproduce my art just like Matisse had on one of our ethnic garments.”

Initially, the designers proposed silk for Burman’s work, but knowing its durability limitations, she opted for a longer-lasting solution. “Radhika had told me she wanted to hang the lehenga on her walls someday, so I wanted to do something long-lasting for her,” Burman said. “I asked Anil Gupta––my distributor––to get me a canvas that would flow like a kapda (cloth) and that’s how we decided on an Italian canvas.”

When Radhika and Rhea first saw the lehenga, their reaction was priceless (Source: PR Handout)

Burman meticulously cut 12 canvas pieces, mounted them on a plyboard, and began her painting with guidance from her pens. She found the initial color “shocking”, as she typically prefers lighter mediums, but she embraced the Ambanis’ affinity for pink, a hue she had encountered in previous engagements with them.

“I made a painting for Nita (Ambani) Ji some 12 years ago. The kids had reached out to me personally and wanted to give their mother the painting,” Burman shared, adding that she “always had a soft spot for the kids in her heart” since then, and when Radhika came knocking, it was inevitable. “I saw Radhika and she melted me.”

When Radhika and Rhea first saw the lehenga, their reaction was priceless, said Burman. “Radhika just exclaimed, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe it’ and her hands were on her face in awe. It is not something I will forget soon.”

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