In the eastern districts of Saraikela, Purulia, and Mayurbhanj, the evenings are alive with the sound of drums, flickering torches, and masked dancers telling stories with every leap and stomp. It was in this setting that Khushi Shah, Creative Director of Shanti Banaras, found the inspiration for the brand’s newest collection—Chhau by Shanti.
“There was an intensity to the performers, a kind of raw, unspoken storytelling that felt deeply connected to nature and identity,” Shah recalls. “Our approach was to let the garments breathe with the spirit of Chhau rather than replicate it literally,” she explains. “We played with exaggerated drapes, layered textures, and silhouettes that have a sense of flow even when the wearer is standing still.”
The resulting saris are bold yet restrained. Embroidered motifs trace the sweeping arcs of a dancer’s movement, while colour stories reflect the world of Chhau—deep earthy browns of the red soil, ceremonial reds and golds, and the cool indigo shadows of dusk. Each piece carries a sense of performance: they are garments designed to move, to hold strength and grace simultaneously. Even the placement of motifs and choice of silhouettes were refined with the artists’ input, with garments tested in motion to ensure they carried the same sense of freedom that defines the dance.
“Heritage isn’t static. It evolves with us,” Shah says. “The challenge is to honour the past while letting it breathe in the present.” Chhau by Shanti is more than a fashion drop—it is a statement on how craft and performance can co-exist in contemporary design. “Nature as teacher, community as strength, heritage as resistance; these are the values we work with every day,” Shah says. For Shanti Banaras, this collection marks a new chapter—one where heritage becomes participatory rather than ornamental. “What matters is approaching every tradition with sensitivity and depth,” Shah says.