Style face-off: Sara Ali Khan vs Janhvi Kapoor

All eyes are now set on Janhvi’s and Sara Ali Khan’s Bollywood debuts. The former is a Bollywood royalty, who enjoys creating fairytale princess moments on the red carpet and the latter is royalty in every sense of the word, who carries off Indian ensembles with an incredible ease. If Janhvi’s mom Sridevi’s closet is a panoply of Stella McCartney, Celine, and Off-White, Sara’s mom Amrita Singh has always been an Abu-Sandeep loyalist. One look at Janhvi’s airport appearances and one can vouch that the girl knows her labels and also likes the idea of mixing luxury pieces with high-street finds. Sara, on the other hand, has shown a certain boldness with her sartorial picks — a pair of micro shorts teamed with long boots she wore at a house party comes to mind. From an ornate and elegant Abu-Sandeep, she can make a successful transition into a pair of gym shorts and sneakers. While it’s too early to say which style directions these beauties will take in future, most designers and stylists see Janhvi as the new Sonam Kapoor, who’s clued into both local and global fashion scenes, enjoys the process of dressing up and hail Sara as a bold and individual dresser, who’ll always surprise you with a refreshing take on trends. Over to the style jury... 

POLISHED VS PUNK

Designer Nachiket Barve observes that it takes years for even the established actors to find that style space so it’s too early to comment on their style journey. 

“Janhvi has access to mom Sridevi’s closet, which is a treasure trove of amazing accessories like high-end handbags. Janhvi puts everything together in chic formats. All in all, she comes across as more glam and polished,” he says. 

Barve feels that Sara leans towards a rather edgy style. “Her cut-off-denims-meets-thigh-high-boots look comes to mind. It’s more punk and grunge. While her mom always had an earthy appeal, her step-mom Kareena Kapoor Khan is also a fashion influence, whose style is more in the athleisure space. However, it’s too early to make a statement since she still has to make her first formal red-carpet appearance,” he adds. 

FASHIONISTA VS ROYAL HERITAGE

Designer Nikhil Thampi hails Janhvi as someone more updated and aware of the global fashion. “She’s dripping in luxury brands, but plays with it in a cohesive and smart manner. Her choice of brands is also off-beat and she doesn’t pick typical labels. She’s shown a liking for Celine and an offbeat pair of denims. She has such an Indian face, which works well for many ensembles,” says Nikhil. 

Thampi sees a royal vibe in Sara. “She exudes royalty and comes from a bloodline. She’s always seen in Abu Sandeep, which is a heritage brand and also complements her royal blood. Having said that, she needs to amp up when it comes to western brands,” he says. 

DIVA VS RISK-TAKER

Designer Aniket Satam sees Janhvi as an unapologetic glamazon who’s impeccably styled. He shares, “Every photograph of her looks like a scene from the Yash Raj Panorama. Janhvi always goes for the ultra-glam, uber-chic choices that are experimental and ethnic at the same time. She, along with her sister Khushi, can give the Kardashians a run for their money. From labels like Offwhite to the unknown niche ones, everything is already in Janhvi’s wardrobe and that also goes to show how well-groomed she is.”

Satam’s vision for Sara is of a sartorial risk-taker. “The moment she wore a pair of knee-high denim shoes, we knew she is a wild child. She isn’t afraid to experiment with new trends. Sara has so far stuck to Abu Sandeep, which totally brings out her desi girl flavour. She’s not necessarily label-driven and like her mom, Amrita, goes for comfort,” adds Aniket. 

BOLD VS CONVENTIONAL

Designer Maheka Mirpuri says, “Janhvi is quite with the fashion trends and more adventurous with her looks. Trainers and short numbers complement her body type. Sara, on the other hand, dresses in a safe and conventional manner. Both have good bodies to flaunt their own styles. While Sara is more simple and subtle, Janhvi is rather bold and adventurous.”

PRETTY VS SEXY

Stylist Eshaa Aminn, who knows Janhvi on a personal level and has worked with her, sees her as a simple, pretty girl, who oozes innocence and vulnerability. “Her shorts and gym sneakers appearances bring out the girl-next-door vibe. However, she is never a bombshell. She is very well-versed with fashion and gravitates towards designers like Rahul Mishra, Anamika Khanna, and Manish Malhotra,” says Eshaa. Elaborating on Sara’s bold body language, Aminn comments, “She is hot and sexy and thigh-high boots bring out that aspect. All in all, she has a strong personality.”

HIGH HEELS VS COOLNESS

Stylist Isha Bhansali hails Janhvi as the Gen Z Sonam Kapoor. “She’s always in high heels and a complete glamazon,” says she. 

Bhansali likes Sara’s personality and the royal vibe she exudes. “When she’s out for an event, she’s always well-styled. She even does coolness with a touch of elegance,” adds Bhansali.