Fashion designer and film stylist Neeta Lulla remembers how in the ’80s, her mother would visit the local darzi with picture cutouts of Bollywood actors from glossies as reference for the clothes she wanted tailored. Ever since, the average Indian’s idea of fashion has gone through a massive evolution — the clothes have gone “more sober” following the globalisation wave in the ’90s and catalogues are updated with latest global trends. But what has remained constant is Bollywood’s influence on it. “Cinema is such an impactful medium in India that it is bound to inspire people’s fashion tastes,” said Lulla, a panelist in a discussion on the trends Bollywood sets — six-pack abs, tattoos and anarkali kurtas among others — and examine them in today’s context. “Image, Reality and Reflected Beauty” was the topic of discussion at the Screen Big Picture on Friday, with models-turned actors Dino Morea and Celina Jaitley, celebrity and fashion photographer Avinash Gowariker, and contemporary fashion designer Nikhil Thampi and Lulla on the panel. Held at the Express Towers, Nariman Point, the discussion was moderated by Screen editor Priyanka Sinha Jha. A defining trait of this era is health consciousness, fuelled by the increasing number of ultra-fit models, such as Morea, entering the film industry. The heroes of today, as opposed to those of the ’90s, respect the “aesthetics of the human body”, as put by Morea. If looking and feeling fit has the upside of the trend, the flipside includes the rise superficial fads such as six-pack abs. “Many from the younger generation go to extremes to achieve a good body, like starving themselves or opting for quick fixes like steroids. This is unhealthy in the long run,” said Morea, adding, “We were inspired by senior models such as Milind Soman, who were more lean and athletic than beefy.” Sridevi’s chiffon saris in Chandni (1989) and Ranbir Kapoor’s dhoti-pants in Rockstar (2011) may have dictated the popular psyche, but Lulla and Thampi said that Bollywood’s fashion statements today are less a star’s individual statement and more the requirement of a film’s script. “I’m sure that setting a trend wasn’t on Farah Khan’s mind when she got Sushmita Sen to wear those saris in Main Hoon Na. Shah Rukh Khan’s character needed to fall in love with her, a teacher. The look was designed to suit the situation,” pointed out Gowariker. Over the years, the horizons of fashion in Bollywood have also expanded to mix-and-match Indian styles with global trends. “The good part is that we’re looking both Westward and also at our own rich cultural heritage,” said Jaitley. The image of a fashion icon has also changed over the years, becoming more “common man”. Sonam Kapoor may be a “fashionista” in the high-fashion sense, but may not capture the imagination of the common class. “A Barkha Dutt or a Maharani Gayatri Devi may instead be my fashion icons. It’s about identifying with a personality,” Thampi added. And what is it to be on the other side, as people who are expected to appear beautiful all the time? The pressures are enormous and like ordinary mortals, stars have insecurities. “You are being judged all the time. So the first thing you should wear is confidence,” Jaitley concluded. sankhayan.ghosh@expressindia.com
