the bUZZ

Blast from the past, Bollywood’s going vintage

Call it the filmmaker’s confidence in the bygone era or their love for the romanticism of the retro lookBollywood’s forthcoming offerings like Lootera, Gunday, Bombay Velvet and Once Upon A Time in Mumbaai Dobara have oodles of the past in their look and feel.

Old world charm has gripped Bollywood, a key element of Indian cinema that is celebrating 100 years of its existence this year. But it requires the right mix of research and vision to hit the bull’s eye as far as styling such projects is concerned, designers say.

A retro look can be described as anything from the 1930s to the 1960s or even the 1980s, said designer Pria Kataaria Puri, who is responsible for actress Priyanka Chopra’s look in the remake of the 1973 film Zanjeer Research is the key, claims Puri, stating that when styling an actress according to the fashion of the 1960s, knowing the way women wore saris and eyeliner, and made the beehive hairdo, is crucial.

There are different examples of films experimenting with some distinct looks of the past - some focus on bell-bottoms and some on fitted short kurtis, while others are inspired by the Sadhana cut, the bouffant, the cat eye makeup, the oversized glasses and the hairbands, as well as the unique sari drapes.

Lootera, a period romance drama set in the West Bengal of 1950, spells the vintage flavour from the word go - Ranveer Singh sports a clean-shaven, hatted and neat look, complete with crisp white shirts and chic braces to hold up his trousers. His on-screen lady love, essayed by Sonakshi Sinha, is seen in simple saris teamed with quarter-sleeved blouses and a big round bindi.