Wearing a cream-embroidered lehenga, black blouse and red muslin dupatta, Madhuri Dixit transformed into a devi for designer Anju Modi’s Bengal-inspired collection at the PCJ Delhi Couture week on Friday evening. After reciting a Rabindranath Tagore poem, Madhuri sashayed down the ramp with her trademark smile and her hair in loose curls round her shoulders, reminiscent of the Chandramukhi that she was of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas.

The song “Jodi Tor Dak Shune Keu Na Ashe…” in the voice of Amitabh Bachchan from the film Kahaani played in the background. “My collection is inspired by Bengali literature and the films inspired by it, such as Charulata, Devi, Parineeta and Devdas. Red is a very prominent colour in Bengal. I have focused on the power of woman — lovable and energetic. I have taken the influence from Bengal and twisted it to make a fashion statement,” said Ms. Modi.

“Madhuri is the epitome of elegance, an intelligent, passionate human being. She is the devi of my collection,” she added. The show began with models walking in with scenes from black-and-white Bengali films playing in the backdrop, showing women at the riverside, boats on the Ganga and the iconic Howrah Bridge.

Cotton, muslin, tusser blend were the fabrics used to create the layered lehengas, jackets, half-saris and drapes. Colours were mostly red, white and black. Ms. Modi has also been designing Madhuri’s outfits for her TV shows like Jhalak Dikhla Ja and said that they’ve been associated for a year now. “I have known Madhuri for a year now. Like a typical American she was shopping online and she came across my clothes. When I met her I found her to be a down-to-earth person. She eventually became my muse.”