Goenka's Cannes debut channels 'Bombay Stories' with body autonomy message
Anupria Goenka made her Cannes debut with a bold red carpet outfit inspired by her role as a sex worker in Bombay Stories.
Her look, themed "My Body, My Choice," mixed traditional and modern styles: one side showed classic femininity, while the other created a bare-chest illusion to challenge how society views women.
Goenka explains symbolism behind Cannes look
Goenka used white to symbolize the purity expected from women and added red accents for judgment and stigma.
Vintage rupee coins in her jewelry pointed to how society puts a price on women.
She shared, "Since Cannes is a huge global platform, I wanted my appearance to stand for something meaningful. The idea was to express a belief I feel strongly about — that a woman should have complete agency over her own body and choices," she added.
Working on Bombay Stories also gave her deeper insight into the lives of sex workers and made the message behind the look more personal.