Pallavi Chatterjee on style: "Rekha ji's grace left a lasting mark on me"

For Pallavi Chatterjee - actor, director and producer, with a career spanning Kolkata's film circuit and beyond - fashion has never been about chasing the latest trend. It's about comfort first, she says, with everything else following close behind.

"It means comfort over everything else," Chatterjee explains. "One has to look good; following trends is not important. I always wanted to do things differently."

Ask her to sum up her personal style, and the words come easily: elegant, situation-appropriate, stylish yet classy, casual, trendy - and, above all, never vulgar. That instinct, she says, goes back further than her acting career. Chatterjee trained as a fashion designer before she ever stepped in front of a camera, which she credits for giving her sensibility an international edge from the start.

"My fashion sense was always very international, even before entering the industry," she says. "Now it's different, but I used to be super conscious about what I would wear, matching accessories with my outfits. Comfort and elegance are my main focus in fashion. I have always followed one rule: don't do things that others are doing. Be different."

The saree, unsurprisingly, holds a special place in her wardrobe. She considers it the ultimate canvas for an Indian woman - capable of being sexy, attractive and dignified all at once, provided it's worn with intention rather than imitation.

"I believe an Indian woman looks her best in a saree," she says. "My mantra is, 'Don't look cheap, look attractive.' I always wear a saree at all my public appearances."

When the conversation turns to the actresses who shaped her own sense of style, Chatterjee doesn't hesitate. Sharmila Tagore, Rakhee, Rekha, Hema Malini, the late Sridevi, Jaya Prada and Reena Roy all make her list - but one name clearly stands above the rest.

"I was hugely influenced by the way Rekha ji used to dress and carry herself," she says.

It's a fitting admission, given that Chatterjee herself has become something of a style reference point over the years. The actor is currently gearing up for Nikhil Advani's "The Revolutionaries," alongside the Hindi feature "Shawlwala" and a slate of other films and short films now in production.