JOIN USThis saying is actually true – there are only two religions in Indian – Cricket and Bollywood! People here eat, sleep, drink cricket and Bollywood films. And they have a huge influence on the people too – be it their style, their attitude or even their costumes. Hindi films have always been the ‘style-changer’ in our country.
The Indian youh has always been inspired by Bollywood actors and actresses, especially in matters of clothing and hairstyle. The youth just love to follow the trends and style set by their favourite filmstars. A hair-flick here, a muffler there or a Madhuri-style saree, there is no limit which the youngsters would not go to, to get ‘that’ particular look and style of their favourite film icon.
And when we talk of Bollywood fashion we need to acknowledge the immense contribution of our superstars in moulding style and setting the fashion trend. Indee, there are numerous stars and superstars whose personal or movie style have become part of Bollywood history.
Starting with bold scenes and carrying out bold costumes was our very own sexy siren Zeenat Aman. She was the first actress in Hindi cinema who embraced the bold look with élan. She looked hot both in a bikini as well as in a sexily draped saree.
Sridevi too made the ‘saree look’ popular in Bollywood. High in oomph factor, the South Indian actress made the chiffon saree in Chandni and Mr India hugely popular. Talking about our heros, how can we forget Amitabh Bachchan, who during the 70s, became popular as the ‘angry young man’ and became an instant hit among the masses.
Going a little back in the history, 60’s actress Sadhna was a fashion icon of her times. She was a hit due to her unique hairstyle, which is till date known as the Sadhna haircut – a fringe style which was also made popular by Audrey Hepburn. During the same time, a hero who caught everyone’s attension with his dancing skills was India’s Elvis Presley – Shammi Kapoor. He is still the original dance superstar of Hindi cinema whose inimitable ‘jumping-all-around-style-dance’ earned him rave reviews.
But, one actor who is known to experiment with looks is our perfectionist Aamir Khan. Be it his spiked hairdo with a goatee in Dil Chahta Hai to the young college boy in 3 Idiots, he has been an inspiration for all. Giving him stiff competition is Chulbul Pandey alias Salman Khan. From Pyaar Kiya To Darna Kya to Bodyguard, he has been giving sleepless nights to young girls whenever he removes his shirt at the drop of a hat and flaunts his six pack abs.
Talking on these lines is Niharika Singh, a National Award winning costume designer who has designed costumes for films like Dirty Picture, Rock On!, Delhi Belly, Inkaar, Kai Po Che, etc.
“People in India look up to Bollywood films a lot, they love their filmstars and the way they dress and, that is why they want to look like them. And it is very exciting for people like us to see people copying my designs. For instance, once in Patiala for some work, a shopkeeper told one of my assistants about how the Dirty Picture blouses were a big hit and that she should also buy one.
That was really exciting, it gives a boost to us that whatever we created went down well with the audience. So, it is important that one’s work speak for oneself. If we take pride in our work, appreciation will follow.”