In an age where trends emerge and disappear overnight, and social media often dictates what beauty and style should look like. Actor Shriya Saran has found comfort in something far more enduring—authenticity. During an exclusive shoot with HT City Showstoppers, Shriya shares how fashion is not about keeping pace with fleeting trends or constantly reinventing herself. Instead, it is a reflection of personal growth, self-acceptance and a deep connection to her roots.
“Style is a reflection of who you are. I’ve grown, I’ve learned, I’ve learned to love myself more and care less about other people’s opinions. I think I’ve carved a style for myself. Of course, it has taken a long time—longer than it should have—but I’m glad that I’ve come here,” she tells us.
That evolution has shaped not only the way she dresses but also the way she approaches fashion itself. Rather than looking outward for inspiration, Saran believes in understanding what works for her and staying true to it. “I don’t believe in following trends. I believe in understanding what works for you,” she shares, adding: “Being true to myself means being connected to who I am. I’m very rooted, and that kind of honesty is important. Fashion for me has never been about changing who I am; it’s about expressing who I already am.”
Years in the public eye have only strengthened that belief. Having navigated the ever-changing worlds of cinema, fashion and celebrity culture for over two decades, the actor—who will next be seen reprising her role in Drishyam 3—has learned to separate personal style from passing trends, choosing instead to embrace what feels genuine to her.
That sense of rootedness often finds expression in her love for Indian textiles and traditional craftsmanship. Drawn to hand-printed fabrics, artisanal techniques and heritage weaves, Shriya sees clothing as a way of reconnecting with her cultural identity.
“There are certain things that are eternal for me—anything that’s hand-printed, uses Indian techniques, or promotes our heritage makes me go back to my roots,” she says. Elaborating further she add, “I come from Rajasthan, and it’s always interesting to reconnect with that part of myself whenever I wear a sari or a fabric from there.” Her wardrobe, however, is anything but predictable. Comfort and elegance coexist effortlessly, reflecting the many facets of her personality.
“My personal style is always evolving, and it’s still evolving. A part of me like to be in a simple white kurta, comfortable kurtas, shorts and jeans, chappals instead of heels, sneakers and loose jeans. But I also love structured dresses, beautifully made blouses and handwoven saris. It’s wide, varied and constantly changing.”
Yet if there is one garment that embodies everything Saran loves about fashion, it is the sari. For her, the six-yard drape transcends trends and seasons, carrying within it stories of artistry, culture and craftsmanship. “I don’t think anything is sexier than a sari. Nothing is more glamorous than a sari,” Shriya shares. “It’s beautiful, timeless and comes from centuries of tradition. When you wear a sari, you don’t just wear a piece of cloth. You wear a technique, a tradition and a story. You wear a piece of an artist’s life. It’s almost an extension of someone’s artistic expression.”
What captivates her most is the extraordinary skill behind every weave—the countless hours of labour, memory and imagination that transform threads into art.
“The colours, the way the silk is made, the way the threads are woven, how an artist remembers which thread goes where—it is all so magical for me,” she says. “A sari is a piece of art that’s always moving and evolving. The beautiful thing about a sari is that it looks different on different people and even on the same person at different points in life. That’s why it’s timeless.”
Her admiration for craftsmanship naturally shapes the way she consumes fashion. At a time when fast fashion dominates wardrobes and shopping habits, Saran advocates for a slower, more mindful approach—one that values longevity over novelty and quality over quantity.
“Where is fast fashion really going?” she asks. “I would rather have five shirts, but they should be the ones that last. If you notice the clothes you bought ten or fifteen years ago, they still last. That’s not the story with most things we buy today. They lose their freshness, their novelty, and people don’t want to wear them anymore.”
For the actor, conscious fashion is also closely tied to preserving India’s rich craft traditions. She worries that many artisanal techniques are slowly disappearing as mass production takes precedence over handmade work. “A lot of traditional techniques are disappearing because people are forgetting how to make them. It’s left to us to revive those crafts and not let them become just printed copies of the original art.”
Her advice is simple: invest in authenticity and support the hands behind the craft “Don’t buy the copy. Buy handwoven cotton. Make embroidery a form of luxury that you gift yourself. That’s how we revive the art. It’s really, really important.”
Beyond clothing, Saran also views jewellery through a deeply personal lens. “Jewellery is an extension of memories. You remember where you bought it, who gave it to you, what phase of life you were in. That’s what makes it special,” shares Shriya, she adds, “Every woman should buy jewellery for herself and not wait for somebody else to buy it for her.”
As beauty trends become increasingly homogenised and social media continues to reward sameness, the actor ends on an important note, as she believes people must hold on to the things that make them unique. “Everybody wants their face to look so perfect that, at some point, it becomes scary because everyone starts looking like a clone of somebody else. It’s fine to follow trends, but keep yourself alive in the process. Don’t lose yourself while trying to be in fashion,” Shriya concludes.