Must-watch fashion movies in Bollywood
Bollywood and fashion trends are synonymous with each other. Think of the days when women used to gush over Dev Anand’s neckerchief in Johny Mera Naam, graceful sarees of Smita Patil in Bhumika, long winged eyeliner of Hema Malini, boho looks of Zeenat Aman in Hare Rama Hare Krishna… Men raved over Madhubala’s unparalleled beauty and copied veteran Dilip Kumar’s suave style… Nothing has changed since then. Be it Dimple Kapadia oozing sensuousness in her polka-dotted numbers in Bobby or Urmila Matondkar grooving in her frilled skirts in Rangeela, people hooked on to the screen to follow the experimental fashion trends generation to generation.
National Award winning designer Neeta Lulla had once quoted in a leading daily, “Those days (late 1990s) only few designers had studied fashion. Lot of star mothers and aunts were doing clothes.” However, the current fashion scenario has seen eminent designers like Manish Malhotra, Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Ritu Kumar and Rohit Bal, Bollywood has only grown in leaps and bounds.
The coming-of-the-age fashion brigade has also witnessed the presence of proficient stylists like Anaita Shroff Adajania, Shaleena Nathani, Ami Patel and Rhea Kapoor who with their astute fashion sense set major fashion goals in Bollywood movies.
Denims, skirts, palazzos, aviators, bell-sleeves, churidaars, they are all a part of fashion trends put forward by artists in the movies. Looking back and forth, there is an enormous list of such fashion-centric films that impacted the fashion industry with their trendsetting prowess. Read on to find a few popular ones.
1) Dear Zindagi (2016)
One of the latest movies that hogged the limelight on the industry fashion radar was Alia Bhatt’s Dear Zindagi where she was admired for her refreshingly confident style quotient. Styled by fashion director Anaita Shroff Adajania, Alia’s chic off-shoulder tops, ripped boyfriend jeans, bohemian dresses, kimonos and casual checkered shirts suited her effortlessly sweet girl-next-door image.
Vouching for a head-to-toe perfection, this movie also saw Alia flaunting wavy tresses, top-knot hairstyle teamed with subtle makeup, bohemian accessories and comfy shoes. Not to mention, the actress’ style statement was an instant rage amongst young women.
2) Fashion (2008)
Madhur Bhandarkar’s movie Fashion revealed some murkier truths of the industry through its bold feminine characters. It’s reported that Priyanka Chopra wore over 137 costumes in the film! From a city girl to a supermodel, her outfits matched well to her transcending character of Meghna Mathur. Be it her small-town attire or glittering silhouettes on the runway, her stylists and designers breathed life into her role through their realistic and relatable Bollywood costumes.
Kangana Ranaut’s look was well received as well. A drug-addict supermodel, the lady carried herself with much élan in the film. Be it her gold-toned dramatic outfit or her sheer thigh-high gown, she looked like a style goddess in her showstopper’s roles.
3) Aisha (2010)
Inspired by Jane Austen’s novel Emma, Aisha charts the story of a rich Delhi-based girl who lives a superficial lifestyle. The film was recognized for introducing major fashion brands like Gucci, Chanel, Prada, Dior, L’Oreal Paris and Salvatore Ferragamo to audiences and was registered as one of the most loved fashion movies of Bollywood.
Sonam Kapoor’s friend Pernia Qureshi took charge of defining the looks and did a fabulous job in brining iconic fashionable avatars on the reel screen. Astute in its fashion aesthetics and global in its appeal, Aisha turned out to be a game changer in every aspect.
4) Dostana (2008)
Admit it. You envied Priyanka Chopra for looking like million bucks in this movie. From her chic straight layered haircut, golden beach wear, halter neck dresses to her perfectly toned body; she was all things hot and sensuous.
And finally, when she draped that glamourous Manish Malhotra saree in Desi Girl, she had men swooning over her ultimate gorgeousness.
5) Cocktail (2012)
Deepika Padukone was an eye-candy in this love triangle. Her stylist Anaita Shroff Adajania complemented her wild-child character of Veronica with stylish front-tie tank tops, ultra mini shorts, chunky jewellery and sequined dresses. Interestingly, it was also the time when Deepika brought 70s popular floral palazzos back in the vogue.
6) Dhoom 2 (2006)
The Dhoom franchisee has been popular for its sturdy boys and bold confident ladies. Dhoom 2 was one such movie when people spoke about things other than just bikes and cars. It was Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. Anaita Shroff Adajania took charge of styling the ethereal beauty in Dhoom 2 who nailed her hot chiseled figure in latex body suits, corsets, knee-length boots and camouflage shorts. Blame it on her nude lips, kohled eyes or Mohawk braid that Aish’s looks are still counted on top glamourous on-screen roles in Bollywood.
7) Dil Chahta Hai (2001)
Dil Chahta Hai was a game changer in the Hindi film industry, not just due to the portrayal of a sacred bond of friendship but also raising the bar in men’s fashion. It had a touch of pop culture, effortless fashion and bits of spunky looks of the three protagonists Aamir Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Akshaye Khanna. Dual-toned shirts, funky pants, floral print shirts and street smart looks brought out the I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude style and made its way straight into the hearts of men.
It was also reported that Aamir’s goatee and his spiky hairstyle became so popular that nearly every men’s salon had at least 50% customers seeking that look.
