The spectacular wedding celebrations of Netra Mantena and Vamsi Gadiraju have been captivating social media audiences for days. The couple's multi-day festivities culminated in their grand ceremony on November 23 at Udaipur's iconic Taj Lake Palace, creating unforgettable memories.
The Dream Wedding Ensemble
For her special day, Netra Mantena made stunning fashion choices that reflected her personal style. She adorned a beautiful Sabyasachi lehenga that perfectly complemented the royal setting of Udaipur. Her bridal makeup was expertly handled by none other than celebrity makeup artist Namita Soni, who has previously worked with Bollywood royalty including Sonam Kapoor.
The Reality Behind Perfect Bridal Looks
In a revealing interview with ANI, Namita Soni opened up about the growing challenges in her profession, particularly with modern brides developing unrealistic expectations. "When I do brides now, I have to create not one but about six mood boards for every outfit," she shared, highlighting the increasing demands.
The experienced makeup artist explained that contemporary brides often struggle to communicate their personal style. "They don't want to tell us who they are or what their personality is. They want us to give them all the options," she noted. For each look, Namita prepares seven hairstyle options and seven makeup variations that would suit both the bride and her outfit.
Social Media's Filtered Reality
According to Namita, the root cause of these unrealistic expectations lies in social media platforms. "They are pulling images from Pinterest and Instagram where everything is filtered," she revealed. Brides often show her 'no-makeup' pictures that are heavily edited, making it impossible to recreate such looks in real life.
"They show me these 'no-makeup' pictures and I am like, 'Are you sure? This has 18 filters on it. I can't make you look like this,'" she confessed. "Real skin has texture—pores, acne marks, scars. I can make you look like the most amazing version of yourself, but not like a filter."
The challenges don't end once the makeup is complete. Namita revealed that brides often edit the final pictures using face-tuning apps, sometimes to the extent that the original makeup becomes unrecognizable. "When I tell them 'this is not the makeup I did,' they say, 'We'd rather not post the picture,'" she shared, explaining why she doesn't showcase much of her work on social media.
Working with Bollywood Royalty
With over two decades of experience in the industry, Namita has developed strategies to manage wedding day chaos. She politely requests that only one trusted person remains with the bride during makeup sessions to avoid conflicting opinions from family members.
Reflecting on her experience with Sonam Kapoor's wedding looks, Namita described the actress as "awesome—like a sister." She appreciated how Sonam, being a fashion enthusiast, trusted her professional expertise and allowed creative freedom.
Throughout her illustrious career, Namita has worked with numerous Bollywood icons including Rani Mukerji, Sushmita Sen, Aishwarya Rai, Deepika Padukone, Janhvi Kapoor, and Malaika Arora. She particularly admired working with Aishwarya Rai during her experimental phase with glittery blue eyeshadow and expressed her long-standing admiration for Sushmita Sen, calling her "dynamic and amazing."
The makeup artist's candid revelations highlight the growing disconnect between social media perfection and reality in the wedding industry, offering a much-needed perspective for modern brides planning their special day.
