Sisterhood, sass, and bags full of opinions.
For this Raksha Bandhan, ELLE Fashion brought in sister duo @huda_thamanna and @rida.tharanaa for a fast-paced, personality-driven challenge — swapping bags and figuring out if they really know what the other carries through the day.
One packed oversized work tote. The other went minimal.
What followed? Debate, drama, and pure unscripted gold.
What followed? Debate, drama, and pure unscripted gold.
Shot and wrapped in under 20 minutes, this one was all about sharp direction, clean setups, and letting talent run wild. The goal was to keep it stylish, quick, and honest — like a peek into a real sibling moment on a high-fashion set.
Credits
Shot & Directed by: Akshay Pawar [@akshaypawar.95]
Edited by: Maria Vino
Hair: Heny Doshi [@makeupbyhenydoshi]
Makeup: Pranjal Shah [@makeupbypranjalshah]
Brand Manager: Rhea Sanil [@rheasanil_]
Assist: Foram Patel [@forraaammmmmm], Reva Dwivedi [@revadvd]
Edited by: Maria Vino
Hair: Heny Doshi [@makeupbyhenydoshi]
Makeup: Pranjal Shah [@makeupbypranjalshah]
Brand Manager: Rhea Sanil [@rheasanil_]
Assist: Foram Patel [@forraaammmmmm], Reva Dwivedi [@revadvd]
Challenges & Learnings
Some shoots are tightly planned. Others flow better when you just get out of the way.
This was the latter. The moment the sisters walked in, the energy shifted — sharp, playful, completely in sync. All I had to do was frame it right, light it right, and let them do their thing.
Challenge: Wearing both hats — directing and shooting — always comes with the pressure of speed vs quality. But this time, I had enough lead time to set up the lighting just the way I wanted it. Talent walked in, we hit record, and magic unfolded in real-time.
Learning:
Great talent + strong prep = fast, effortless execution
Direction isn’t always about control — sometimes it’s about creating space for people to be themselves
You don’t need a huge window to shoot a tight, memorable editorial — you just need to be ready
Knocked this out in under 20 minutes. And honestly? That’s the sweet spot.
