Name: Basuri Chokshi
Age: 35
From: Ahmedabad, India
Profession: Painter
Why you should know her: You’ve probably already seen the painterly gown by That Antiquepiece that Alia Bhatt debuted in her Cannes 2026 trousseau. What many don’t know is that the dress was hand-painted by Chokshi. A self-taught painter who studied interior design, Chokshi started creating murals in 2016 and has since worked on projects for designers like Rooshad Shroff and Ravi Vazirani, on the interiors of a Starbucks in New Delhi and private homes for famous clients like Sonam Kapoor and Nayanthara.
For Bhatt, who is currently in Cannes, stylist Rhea Kapoor slid into Chokshi’s Instagram DMs, and recruit the artist to bring her delicate brushstrokes to a bespoke piece. The look, a Fifties-inspired frock with a fitted bodice, a drop waist and a flared skirt, was painted with a reimagining of the French Riviera that took Chokshi over 110 man-hours to complete. This was Chokshi’s second time painting on a garment, the first being her very own wedding lehenga in 2018.
On the Alia Bhatt collaboration: “Rhea Kapoor’s brief was beautifully open yet evocative—the French Riviera reimagined through my lens. My initial response was as visceral as it was visual, drawn to the region’s iconic topography, its softened light, and that unmistakable, sun-washed palette. Rather than relying on a singular reference, I focused on an emotional landscape: the quiet poetry of lavender fields, native botanicals, and the luminous tones of the coastline. I wanted to capture the seamless meeting point of land, sea, and sky—creating an atmosphere that felt at once grounded and ethereal.”
