If you’ve been following the grand wedding celebrations of Tollywood actors Rashmika Mandanna and Vijay Deverakonda, you’ve likely caught glimpses of their standout fashion moments across the festivities. Each event has delivered a new style highlight, with fans across the internet closely tracking their looks.
Both the bride and groom seem to have truly understood the assignment – effortlessly blending traditional silhouettes with contemporary flair, and choosing richly embellished ensembles that exude regal elegance. However, Vijay Deverakonda, in particular, has been drawing widespread praise online, with many fans hailing him as one of India’s most stylish grooms in recent times.
Amid the many exceptional wedding looks, one ensemble stands out above the rest – not just for its grandeur, but for the sense of historic elegance it evokes. The lavish sangeet ensemble – complete with flowing robes and shimmering sequins – may even have struck a familiar chord for those who find themselves reminded of the opulence and sartorial splendour of royal courts from the past.
Highlighting this association, Maharani Radhikaraje Gaekwad, the Maharani of Baroda, wrote on her March 12 Instagram post, “South Star Vijay Deverakonda @thedeverakonda is being hailed as one of the best dressed bride grooms of recent years, honouring his heritage, swishing in and out of Dhotis and Veshtis, channeling ‘Mythology Core’ with a generous drizzle of Southern sass. Fabulously styled by @stylebyami (Ami Patel) in an array of designers ranging from Anamika Khanna to Jade and Torani, what piqued my interest was the sky blue silk cloak by @falgunishanepeacockindia (Falguni Shane Peacock India).”
Taking fashion cues from a 20th century Maratha ruler
The Maharani continued in her post, “Reminiscent of a cloak worn by Maharaja Sayajirao first in 1919 (painted photograph, image 4) when he received the Most Exalted Order of the Star of India, an order of chivalry bestowed by the British Empire (image 3) and later in 1930 during his 60 years reign celebrations (image 2).”
In the portrait, Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the Maharaja of Baroda State from 1875 to 1939, is seen wearing a striking ceremonial blue robe draped like a regal cape over an intricately embroidered traditional garment. The robe appears crafted from lustrous textured silk satin, flowing dramatically over the shoulders and falling in soft folds to the floor. It is adorned with medals, orders, braided cords, and decorative chains, symbols of royal honours and authority.
According to Maharani Gaekwad, the ruler of Baroda wore the luxurious robe once earlier, when he arrived at the Delhi Durbar in 1911 to greet the Emperor and Empress of India. Notably, he layered the opulent ceremonial robe over a simple, unembellished angarakha, allowing the contrast in his attire to quietly convey a message. The understated garment beneath, she noted, reflected his “reluctance and diffidence,” while the grand robe maintained the formal expectations of royal protocol.
The Maharani of Baroda added, “Coming back to the blue cloak, Sayajirao is seen in this robe of imperial symbolism only twice and by what we know of him, it was a perfect camouflage to his deep commitment and support to the Indian Nationalist Movement. A lesson learnt from 1911 perhaps. Remembering the Maharaja on his 163rd Birth Anniversary. The original Main Character who knew the power of dressing for the part.”
Vijay Deverakonda’s powder blue drape
For the sangeet celebration, Vijay Deverakonda embraced a similarly regal aesthetic with a sweeping powder-blue cape from Falguni Shane Peacock India, layered over a sharply tailored, long sherwani-style coat. The robe was adorned with sparkling crystal embroidery and delicate draped chains, echoing the ceremonial embellishments often seen in royal regalia. Beneath the robe and coat, he styled a sleek black satin shirt with a deep neckline, lending the ensemble a contemporary, fashion-forward edge while allowing his statement jewellery to take centre stage. The actor completed the outfit with a bold emerald pendant necklace, its vivid green gemstone framed in diamonds and suspended from a delicate chain.
The fashion and culture page on Instagram, Diet Sabya, described the look as, “If the brief was a fairytale-glazed-in-chashni, VIROSH delivered with conviction. The big, glam-dipped spectacle where sequins and feathers become the unofficial dress code (the self-appointed bride-upstage police can take the night off). The beauty and the hunk in custom @falgunishanepeacockindia couture – capes and all – splashed all over. It’s giving royal wedding, but make it the people’s prince and princess.”
Placed side by side, the resemblance becomes hard to ignore. The flowing blue cape, ornate embellishments, and ceremonial styling of Vijay’s sangeet outfit seem to echo the regal sartorial language once associated with Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III. While Vijay’s version is modernised with sleek tailoring and statement jewellery, the visual reference to historic royal attire gives the ensemble a distinctly maharaja-like grandeur – almost as if the groom took a page straight out of royal Baroda’s fashion playbook.
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