Ash or Mallika at the Oscars ??

The 83rd Annual Academy Awards had quite an Indian presence – Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, AR Rahman with wife Saira, Mallika Sherawat, (why was she there, by the way?) and even Ashutosh Gowarikar .

Ash, whose international Red Carpet appearances have become something of a habit now, was here too – with hubby Abhi in tow. And we thought, it's yet another Aishwarya-on-an-international-Red-Carpet moment... yawn.

However, much to our surprise and relief, Aishwarya, who has displayed an uncanny knack of making the absurd-est of fashion choices when she's on foreignshores, didn't look too bad after years of being panned for her Red Carpet sartorial sense. And so we decided to ask our desi experts what they thought of her this time in her charming rust-amber sequined Giorgio Armani Prive gown. As for Mallika, who had earlier posted online that "Maybe I'll wear veggies!" thankfully opted for a sparkling white gown instead, something Nicole Kidman apparently admired. For, Mallika posted online, "Lovin being here! Nicole Kidman is so sweet said I looked stunning".

But designers here don't seem to share the same sentiments as Nicole. Manav Gangwani gives Mallika a 2.5 on a scale of 10. "I don't know what she was thinking when she wore that outfit – which, by the way, is quite nice – with black shoes and black painted toenails. And she has French manicure on her hands. Sometimes, a single element can ruin the entire look. She could have carried it off better." Rina Dhaka is more generous as she gives Mallika a score of 7. "I quite like the dress, but the jewellery is all wrong for the outfit," says Rina.

Ash has scored better, well, some would say, she's had years of practice! "I give her an 8," says Rina, "She looks beautiful, and her outfit is right, but I have always liked her better in those sleeveless dresses with a deep V-neck. When she wears these dresses, the focus shift to her arms – not really what she should flaunt," says Rina. Manav thinks "Ash looks stunning. I would give her an 8.5. I love the way she's done up her eyes, she looks glamorous."