Bollywood and Fashion

Scripts, Storyline, Characters, actors, directors, producers, shooting sites etcetera etcetera. All of these factors are responsible for helping movies gain popularity in the society. But what the Indian crowd looks forward to when a movie is released is the FQ. Yes! The fashion quotient of the movie. The attires of the characters add a lot of glamour to the movie. One would agree that we associate movies instantly with the attire donned by the lead actors. Nobody can forget Shilpa shetty flaunting the golden bikini on the beaches of Miami and recollecting the spicy number ‘Kajrare’ without remembering the famous  ‘Maang tika’ sported sideways by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan is impossible.

Through the years, Bollywood has influenced the fashion industry to a large extent. Puffed up blouses, polka dot prints, the three quarters sleeves, bell bottoms have evolved to become tight fitting trousers, short dresses, and much more. Here are some of the movies which have made men and women go crazy and have given eureka moments to the great fashion designers of today.

  1. Mughal – e – Azam : The story of tragic romance between prince Salim and his courtesan ‘Anarkali’, gave birth to the most iconic, ethnic dress we have seen in countless ‘films’ named after the protagonist ‘Anarkali’. Worn by the House of Commons and lords alike, Anarkali has taken over not only women shoppers but over numerous famous actresses too.
  2. Hare Ram Hare Krishna: Who can forget Zeenat Aman in those floral print shirts paired with flashy bell bottoms and oversized glasses. Apart from being an iconic movie, it gave birth to the famous ‘Bell bottoms style’, which remained a craze till 2000’s and is still a ‘trademark’ of the Retro period.
  3. Brahmachari: Movie responsible for setting the trend of ‘Mumtaz sarees’. Although it was actress Rajarshee who draped the saree in such a ‘highly creative’ yet cool manner, this trend sent designers crazy and went on to become a fashion statement. Never mind! As they say what’s in the name?
  4. Waqt: It has been quite long we have been spotting ‘Sadhana cut’ in most of the women salons. Well if you ever wondered where it came from, here is the answer. A movie which gave us tight fitting chudidar kurtas along with a sporty haircut to flaunt it with!
  5. Bobby: A love story between two adolescents, first of its kind set the whole nation love struck not just by the storyline and cast but also the knotted polka dot shirt and short skirt donned by the ever graceful Dimple Kapadia. This fashion trend immediately became a rage in 70’s inspiring designers to experiment with this further.
  6. Mr India: Chiffon saris were never so sexy before Sri Devi, in her plain blue chiffon made the whole nation go oomph in one of the songs of this movie. Since then until now numerous heroines have tried but failed to cast the same magic, nevertheless Chiffon has proved to be evergreen for Bollywood.
  7. Pyar kiya to darna kya: Not many of us remember young salman sporting torn jeans trying to impress hot headed brother of Kajol, but fact check! This moment gave torn jeans a status of sophistication and coolness in Indian society. Sallu miyan has inspired thousands of young lads to rip their jeans, literally.
  8. Bunty aur Babli: who could ever think collars and salwars could be teamed up to make a decent match? But our own Babli here, Rani Mukherjee proved us wrong by looking energetic and lovely in those bright collared kurtis and glittery salwars. A total fashion con it was!
  9. Jab we met: Style and comfort can never go together they said. But who cares! Kareena in her this story of love and twists leaves us smitten by her role of carefree go-getter girl clad in comfy long tee-shirts and broad salwars. Hats off Kareena!
  10. Ghajini: A perfectionist by nature, Aamir Khan definitely carried off his role perfectly but what is remembered more of this is the movie is the ‘ghajini’ haircut which became an instant hit with Indian youth.
  11. Dabang: And yet again Salman Khan proved to be a youth icon for the young street lads, when he sported the sunglasses tucked away at the back of the collar and the huge buckle of his belt shining away to the ‘policeman’ glory.

The relationship between Bollywood and fashion may be symbiotic but nobody can disagree that Bollywood through the years has given memorable styles to the Indian crowd, let it be the ladies shopping at their favourite garment store or the young boys lining up outside the barbers shop to get an iconic haircut, we always see a glimpse of Bollywood everywhere!

Smita Bose

I would define myself as someone who believes in the beauty and power of freedom. I love writing, art, music and travelling. New places and experiences make my life worth living and I love it.

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