Huma Qureshi Instagram – “There can be no art in the absence of courage”, says Huma Qureshi, as she shoots for us on a bright morning in the spellbinding Dal Lake. The actor was in Srinagar, Kashmir, to be the showstopper for couturier Varun Bahl’s historic fashion show – the first ever mainstream showcase in the valley in the last forty years. Models from Srinagar and neighbouring areas participated spiritedly in the show. Two years ago, a fashion show held by locals in the valley had irked the radicals. They had taken out a protest march against the organisers. Bahl’s grand show turned out to be far cry – shutting down naysayers, it proved how fashion – a celebration of free will and individual liberty, can also become a means to counter extremism. It marked the fearless return of art and fashion in the Valley. Happy to see her mother’s homeland bounce back after a long period of gloom, Qureshi says fashion can serve as a powerful unifier. “Fashion can help find beauty and harmony even when it’s difficult to do so. It can bind people across the world. Fashion is liberating and should be allowed to flourish,” says Qureshi. Qureshi played the perfect muse for us as she posed for her first ever fashion shoot in Kashmir, celebrating wedding wear rooted in traditions. “Every bride looks resplendent irrespective of which part of India she is from. Whether it is a sari, a lehenga or a sharara —- Indian wedding couture has a special place in my heart. Its beauty is unmatched,” says Qureshi, who looks like a dream herself in Bahl’s splendid creations. Concept & Creative Direction: @sharaashraf Outfits: @varunbahlcouture Styling: @gopalikavirmani Photos: @lakshaysachdevaphotography jewellery: @thehouseoframbhajos coordination: @kayanaaaaat production: Irshu (@euphoriatravelservices )