Dear Grooms, Rishab Rikhiram Sharma’s Bold Henna Is the Mehendi Moodboard You Need

For the longest time, mehendi has belonged to the bride. Delicate, intricate, and ornamental, it has been treated as something soft, almost exclusively feminine. But that idea is beginning to shift.

Today, grooms are stepping into a more expressive space, where personal style extends beyond outfits and into details that were once overlooked. And leading that quiet shift is musician Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, whose approach to henna feels less like tradition and more like identity.

His designs are not dainty. They are bold, centred, and deliberate. Motifs sit with purpose, lines feel graphic, and the placement is intentional. It is mehendi played up with jewellery in a striking way that commands attention without excess, and in doing so, offers a compelling reference point for grooms looking to move beyond the expected.

Grooms, if you’re building your own mehendi moodboard, here’s what to take from Rishab Rikhiram’s playbook

1. The Central Motif Hand

One of the most striking elements across his looks is the use of a single, dominant motif placed at the centre of the palm. Often mandala-like in structure, these designs feel complete without needing to extend outward endlessly.

What to take away: Instead of covering the entire hand, anchor your design around one strong visual. It feels intentional and far more modern.

2. Symbol-Led Storytelling

Across several of his designs, you’ll notice recurring symbols, trishul-like forms, sun and moon elements, and sacred geometry. These aren’t decorative additions, they feel personal.

What to take away: Choose motifs that hold meaning for you. Mehendi becomes far more impactful when it reflects something beyond aesthetics.

3. Bold Over Dainty

There’s an intentional rejection of fine, overly intricate detailing in Rishab Rikhiram Sharma’s mehendi designs. The lines are thicker, the forms more defined, and the overall composition more graphic.

What to take away: Skip the delicate. Opt for designs that hold their own visually, especially in photographs.

4. Wrist as an Extension

In many images, the design doesn’t stop at the palm. It moves into the wrist, almost like a cuff, creating continuity and structure.

What to take away: Think of mehendi as an accessory. Extending the design to the wrist can replace or complement jewellery like kadas and cuffs.

5. Mehendi Meets Jewellery

In styled looks where he pairs henna with layered necklaces, bracelets, rings and traditional silhouettes, the mehendi doesn’t compete, it enhances. It becomes part of the overall styling language.

What to take away: If your wedding wardrobe includes jewellery, let your mehendi work with it. The combination feels considered and elevated.

6. Designed for Movement

As a sitarist, his hands are always in motion, and the mehendi naturally draws attention to that. Whether holding an instrument or simply gesturing, the designs come alive.

What to take away: Think about moments, the varmala, the ring exchange, the rituals. Your hands are always in focus. So, play up with henna accordingly.

7. Less Fill, More Form

There’s breathing space in this Sitar maestro’s mehendi designs. They aren’t overcrowded, which allows each element to stand out.

What to take away: Resist the urge to fill every inch. Negative space can be just as powerful as detail.

8. Mandala and Folk References

Some patterns echo mandala-style artwork and traditional Indian motifs like lotus flowers, but they’re interpreted in a sharper, more graphic way.

What to take away: Look at heritage, but don’t feel bound by it. Reinterpretation makes the design feel more current and fashionable.

The Takeaway

Mehendi, when stripped back to its essence, has never really been about gender. It has always been about adornment, ritual, and expression. What’s changing now is who feels allowed to wear it, and how. With references like Rishab Rikhiram Sharma, grooms no longer have to borrow from the bride’s playbook. They can build their own.