Diwali parties, family lunches, pre-wedding dinners and then some your festive calendar is probably looking busier than you had originally planned for it to be, but isn’t that half the fun? The only seeming downside is probably the intensive wardrobe curation this calls for, but that just boils down to perspective too.

One of the key staples of any wholesome traditional wear wardrobe is the classic kurta, and with the current heat wave we’re experiencing in the country, it is particularly apt for the upcoming Diwali season. Gone are the days of the mundane kurta-churidar combination. We round up some celebrity inspiration to help you recycle this silhouette for events ranging from poker parties to family pujas, encouraging you to not write off this essential as a humble wallflower.

Shararas are the easiest way to dress up a kurta. Do like Sophie Choudry and wear it with a flared printed version for a pre-Diwali lunch or borrow from Parineeti Chopra’s stylebook and team an embroidered kurta with a bright-hued sharara for a family friend’s sangeet. Kareena Kapoor Khan and Anushka Sharma, on the other hand, are in favour of kurtas worn with matching shararas, but with a visibly contrasting dupatta to ensure maximum impact.

You can look at mixing and matching your existing kurtas with dhoti pants too. Diana Penty, who was seen in a high-low kurta with drop crotch pants will definitely approve, as will Katrina Kaif, who prefers the look too, but in monotone. Karisma Kapoor’s short kurta and slim pants combination, with that embroidered cuff, is ideal for a Diwali dinner, irrespective of whether you’re the host or a guest.

Scroll onwards for all the celebrity inspiration you will ever need on revamping your kurta.