May 20, 2026 3:48pm IST
From Alia Bhatt to Sonam Kapoor: The Humble Nose Ring Becomes a Global Fashion Statement
Alia Bhatt sported a nose ring for one of her red carpet looks at the 79th Cannes Film Festival. Days later, Prajaktta Mali, Nivedita Ashok Saraf, Ankita Prabhu-Walawalkar and other Marathi actors arrived at Cannes, adorned in gorgeous sarees and the quintessential Maharashtrian “nath”.
Every time the nose ring has made an appearance at Cannes, it has stolen the show. Sonam Kapoor’s Anamika Khanna look from 2013 put the oversized kundan "nath" centre stage, with no other jewelry to steal its thunder. At the same event on a different day, Vidya Balan amped up her Sabyasachi saree look with a gold Maharashtrian "nath" by Pankaj Surana.
There’s something about a nose ring that just elevates a look: From brides on their wedding day to men’s fashion on the runway to a stunning conversation starter on the red carpet. While Indians claim the 'nath' as their own, it has transitioned from a tribal and cultural symbol to a gender-neutral accessory spotted on several high-fashion runways and adored for adding oomph to an outfit.
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Bollywood's favorite accessory
The nose ring is one of the coolest fashion accessories, not only because it can go with traditional and western outfits but also because it is gender-fluid. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s “Jodhaa Akbar” nose ring is iconic, and so are Priyanka Chopra’s and Deepika Padukone’s accessories from “Bajirao Mastani”. Several actresses, like Kareena Kapoor in “Ra.One”, Anushka Sharma in “Ae Dil Hai Mushkil,” and Shraddha Kapoor in “Ek Villain”, have managed to make the nose ring appear glamorous and youthful when paired with their Indo-Western character looks.
Cannes wasn’t the first time Alia’s nose ring became a talking point. It was a regular fixture for her fiery Rani from “Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani” and Gangu in "Gangubai Kathiawadi". Similarly, whether it was her debut in “Dabangg” or her later films, like “Once Upon Ay Time In Mumbai Dobaara!”, Sonakshi Sinha was rarely seen on screen without one.
However, the accessory has also made statements when sported by male actors like Akshay Kumar and Ranveer Singh on magazine covers, or even on Ayushmann Khurrana and Aamir Khan, who incorporate it seamlessly into their everyday looks.
Piercing through time
Nose piercings and septum rings date back several thousand years, where they were a part of indigenous tribal jewelry traditions. Mentions of a gold nose ring exist in the Bible’s Book of Genesis, too. Historically, nose rings across cultures have been symbols of wealth, purity, marital status, and even medicinal benefits to wearing the nose ring as it pushes on pressure points that alleviate pain and help with healing ailments.
Contrarily, this ‘traditional’ seeming accessory was co-opted by the Western punk, grunge and goth movements in the 1960s, 70s and 80s as a counterculture statement against conformity and traditionalism. The oxidised septum ring remains a must-have for the ‘cool’, ‘experimental’ and ‘rebellious’ phases of growing up.
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A nose ring by any other name
The nose ring is known by many names across India. There’s the distinct Maharashtrian ‘nath’, a cashew-shaped piece with a big pearl or a ruby as the main attraction. There’s the smaller stud with nature and animal motifs, in South Indian culture, is called “Mookuthi”. Up north, Indians sport the “Nathani,” a large hoop with a chain that is pinned into the hair. The northernmost states prefer septum rings over nostril rings, and they’re often called ‘Bulak’.
Pop culture moment
Internationally, too, the nose ring has elevated the looks of celebrities like Harry Styles, Rihanna, Lil Nas X, Zayn Malik, Florence Pugh and Zendaya, and made its presence felt on the runways for Chanel, Jean Paul Gaultier and Givenchy.
On the red carpet
In addition to Sonam Kapoor and Vidya Balan, another iconic moment was when actor Chhaya Kadam, who is rarely seen without a nose ring, wore her mother’s saree and Maharashtrian “nath” to the Cannes red carpet while representing Payal Kapadia’s “All We Imagine As Light” in 2024.
Now, with Alia Bhatt, Prajaktta Mali and Ankita Prabhu-Walawalkar bringing the nose ring back to Cannes, it’s a reminder that this accessory has always been one to grab eyeballs and headlines.
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