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Hyderabad: At a red carpet where fashion usually screams for attention, Hyderabad-origin model Bhavitha Mandava arrived at the Met Gala 2026 in a look that was almost too quiet for the night. Dressed in a Chanel top and what appeared to be jeans, Bhavitha kept it simple, but the internet clearly was not ready to let it pass quietly.

For many Indians, especially Hyderabadis, her presence itself was a proud moment. Bhavitha, who has Telugu roots, has been making waves globally after becoming one of Chanel’s standout Indian faces. So naturally, expectations were high. People were waiting for a dramatic couture moment, something that would make her Met debut look unforgettable. Instead, Chanel gave her a clean, casual-looking outfit, and that is where the debate began.

Social media users were quick to call it underwhelming. One comment read, “It’s too casual and how does this represent fashion as art?” Another user wrote, “They did it intentionally.” Someone else said, “Chanel did her dirty,” while another felt the brand was scared she would “steal the spotlight.”

Soon, the criticism became bigger than just the outfit. Some users began speculating whether Chanel kept her look simple because she is Indian. There is no proof to back that claim, but the anger shows how strongly people felt that Bhavitha deserved a bigger moment on fashion’s biggest carpet.

But while the internet was busy defending her, Bhavitha herself had a different take. Responding to the trolling, she wrote, “I absolutely adore and love my look.”

That one line shut down half the debate. Chanel may have given her a look that many found too simple for the Met Gala, but Bhavitha clearly owned it. And in the end, whether people loved it or hated it, one thing is clear Hyderabad’s Bhavitha Mandava still got everyone talking.