US-based Indian-origin designer Anjali Phougat has watched fashion play out on runways and red carpets for years, and she isn't shy about naming who she thinks does it best. In a recent conversation, she singled out two Bollywood actresses she rates above the rest — Deepika Padukone and Sonam Kapoor — and explained what separates them from the crowd.

For Phougat, Deepika is all about a timeless kind of elegance. "Whether it's a red carpet look or minimal airport style, she embodies structured simplicity, confidence, and global sophistication," she said. What makes the actress stand out, in her view, is how easy it all looks. Even in heavy couture, Deepika never seems to be trying. As Phougat put it, "she doesn't wear the outfit, she becomes it."

Sonam sits at the other end of the spectrum. Where Deepika keeps things clean, Sonam takes risks. "She treats fashion like art," Phougat said, praising the actress for playing fearlessly with silhouette, drama and cultural fusion. It's that willingness to push that has helped bring Indian couture into global fashion conversations, and to do it in a distinctly editorial way.

The common thread, she believes, is intention. Neither actress dresses by accident. "Their style choices feel deliberate, not accidental; there is storytelling in what they wear," she said.

Phougat also had specific advice for both. She'd like to see Deepika move further into structured couture with softer, spiritual notes — flowing drapes set against sharper, architectural shapes. Handwoven Indian textiles cut in modern global silhouettes would suit her, Phougat suggested, especially in muted jewel tones and monochrome palettes that let the actress shine rather than fight her look.

For Sonam, the note is to keep experimenting but anchor it in something deeper. Phougat would pair more heritage craft with avant-garde design — think Banarasi, zardozi or temple jewellery elements reworked into futuristic forms. That mix, she said, could take Sonam's already strong editorial identity somewhere "even more iconic and timeless."

In the end, the designer sees the two as opposite poles of the same story. One leans on elegance, the other on expression. "Together they define the modern face of Indian style on the global stage," she said.