Mangalsvtra for the vltra-modern Wifey?

Despite having a worse run than the sindoor or other symbols of female matrimony, the mangalsutra’s reputation has suffered even more of late. Patriarchophobes argue, ‘Haan, bhai, why do wives need to sport an ‘auspicious thread’ to advertise their marital status and extend their husband’s lives, with husbands rarely, if ever, returning the favour?!’ So, the mangalsutra had all but lost its sheen, were it not for India’s culture custodians and brand ambassadors in those saas-bahu TV sagas, and desi jewellery labels, which still try to reinvent it as a ‘fashion forward symbol of love’ that complements both ‘salwar kameezes and LBDs’. What their sales pitch had lacked, however, was a certain preposterousness.

Enter the Bvlgari Mangalsutra — an unholy union of the ‘mangalsutra’, ‘modernity’ hitched on a ‘female empowerment’ filly. Global ambassador of the Italian luxury brand, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, unveiled the gold, black onyx and pavé diamonds ₹3,49,000 piece with a Vogue cover shoot, which gave the accessory not just a contemporary touch but also an ‘aspirational’ one. PCJ added that it was ‘designed for the modern Indian woman who takes charge of her own life’. Er, does this mean that after all the saat pheras and back around the subject of mangalsutras, it’s time for post-bridal wives to come back full circle?