Mandira Bedi in her new sexier avatar; (bottom) Mandira in her trademark noodle strap and sari

I know of people just tuning in to see what I am wearing, rather than the match! No extras for guessing that this is Mandiraspeak.

Yes, Mandira Bedi is back on the ball — and bolder than ever before. Her new look in Extraaa Innings for the Champions Trophy, a far cry from her zardosi-strappy image of World Cup ’03, has generated its fair share of pre-Diwali crackle.

Just when tongues were wagging (or drooling) about her in-your-face sexuality — heavy-duty hairstyle, bare shoulders, cleavage peekaboo and all — she slipped right back into a familiar sari-and-strappy-blouse look on Diwali.

Experimental, saucy, glamorous... Mandira’s wardrobe this season has had the desired effect — like it or lump it, you just have to notice it. GoodLife takes a closer look.

The story so far

Mandira Bedi rewrote cricket-viewing history three years ago from the studios of Cape Town. She appeared on match-day screen in a whole six yards and strappy blouse, talked cricket and made quite a statement. She set fashion meters flashing fast, especially with her blouse story — hot halters to not-there noodles...

And now, Mandy is back in the game. With cricket skills honed and a brushover to boot, she is busy boosting the TRP for SET Max.

In World Cup 2003 she flaunted Ritu Kumar saris, in Champions Trophy 2004 she slipped into Satya Paul crepes, and this time she is sporting Manish Malhotra’s makeover.

For Bollywood’s favourite designer, life came full circle with this Mandira assignment. “I designed the look for her first film Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge and when she came to me two weeks before the show, I was more than happy to work with her again,” says Manish.

Fashion facts

DDLJ saw Manish giving Mandira the girl-next-door look. This time, she looks more like the neighbour’s sexy wife, to be coveted at your own peril.

“She wanted to look different from last time, to break the sari mould. That’s why we decided to keep the look basically Indian, yet boast an international appeal,” explains Manish. Many brainstorming sessions followed and the result is now out there for all to see — and then salivate or scowl, covet or cringe.

“She has a great body, lovely smile, warm persona and, above everything, she is very intelligent. That’s what makes it tick,” adds Manish. And it’s all showing — the sporting purist would grumble too much is showing.

Manish picks highlights from Mandira’s Champions Trophy look, for GoodLife:

All the ensembles are India-centric.

The fabric story is varied — there’s georgette, silk, cotton, velvet and net.

The colours follow a scheme. “We began with nudes, gold, beige and salmon pinks but as the series progresses, we see her in brighter shades like turquoise and red.”

Lots of skirts, dresses and corsets.

The detailing is a melange. Different forms of embroidery, prints and sequins interplay to create the desired effect. “We also developed some Rajasthani embroidery as a printing block for one of her outfits.”

Her accessories are not OTT (over the top). “Pretty earrings or a string of beads, that’s it.”

She’s done hair and make-up herself as “by now she knows what works for her”.

“Glamorous is the one word that describes her new look,” concludes Manish.

Viewer voice

Serious cricket devotees have been joined by ma and mashi to frown on the all-glam look of ‘Mandy baby’. “This time, she’s overdone it with the corset dress code. Maybe she felt her earlier image had become too staid and it needed to be sexed up further to hook the TV viewer. I feel the sari suits her and the occasion better,” grumbles an ex-cricketer not wanting to be named.

But for every grumble or gripe, there’s a gape or grin. “Mandira has brought a dash of glamour in the good ol’ proceedings of good ol’ cricket. She has hiked up the oomph quotient for sure and her sense of fusion style is great,” feels percussionist-actor Bickram Ghosh.

Not only men, women too have given the nod. Says designer Agnimitra Paul: “She’s looking refreshingly different. There was an overdose of saris last season; this time Manish has got it right. It complements the festive mood of the season.”

Mandiraspeak

“With the earlier editions of Extraaa Innings I had broken the rule of women having nothing to do with cricket. So during the first few episodes, there was a lot of skepticism on not only what I was doing there but also about what I wore. But now, no one criticises what I wear but they review it and expect me to wear something exciting everyday!

This time I am wearing a lot of organzas, tissue, nets and crepes. Manish was on top of my wishlist. He had a lot of commitments but he said “I’d love to do your clothes”.

Thanks to Manish, I am wearing a lot of dresses on the show. I have never worn dresses on TV before. But there is an Indian feel somewhere. All the clothes have an Indian theme with a Western concept. I have been wearing lovely brocade skirts. For Diwali, I am wearing a sari and for Id, too, I’ll wear something Indian.

The other thing I am excited about this time is my hair. I used to have curly hair when I started out and then I straightened it out and now I have it back after so many moons. Bhajji (Harbhajan Singh) will make it a point to compliment me everyday about my hair. I am really excited!”