The Story Behind the Outfits of Bollywood Characters

If there’s a part of Bollywood that has seen an incredible transformation in the past 20 years, it’s the costumes. Be it Dil Chahta Hai, or Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani, the costumes chosen for the roles are much more appropriate to the character, and have an integral purpose in portraying the character. I present to you a Bollywood spinoff of my last post, where I am going to be analyzing the outfits of Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s Ayesha in Dil Dhadakne Do, with Faran Akhtar’s Imran from Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara. Both movies, being absolute favorites, have left their mark on Bollywood. Here’s more about them to help you reach a deeper understanding of the intentions of Arjun Bhasin- Bollywood’s favorite costume designer.

A snapshot of the first scene of the cruise in Dil Dhadakne Do, where Ayesha wears a striped crop top with white palazzos with black pumps, accessorized with a hat and sunglasses. The entire outfit radiates a day by the sea vibes, especially the flared hat which she has so beautifully pulled off. Reading into this outfit, we can tell the character is well versed and has travelled enough to know what outfit would be appropriate for such an occasion. She is able to carry herself extremely well, not just with the outfits but also her mannerisms. In the movie, she runs a very successful business of her own. Yet, she is balanced enough to make herself look smart, remain fit and toned, and be present for her parents’ 25th anniversary.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara, a movie that has come to become a Bollywood classic. Extremely well cast and directed, it is on point in conveying the bigger meaning ‘You only have one life. So live’. Imran, the ‘funny’ one in his trio, has deeper issues regarding his father which have matured him in ways that age cannot. His humor may be a way for him to cope with things, but his real feelings come out in his little brown diary, which he carries with himself everywhere, never letting a single soul actually read what’s inside. A poet, an artist, a best friend- Imran is many things, but funnily enough, just one person. The outfit he wears reflects his artistic side. As can be seen above, he has layered a printed vest jacket on top of an earthy green shirt. White pants are something that not everybody can pull off, but Imran wears them as if they were made for him. The brown satchel adds to this Earthy vibe, and all of it comes together to hint at his love for nature, and the connection he feels towards it. What defines his outfits throughout the movie, is his fondness of hats. Again, not something that every man wears, a hat adds a great deal of personality to any outfit. Last but not the least, his aviators are perfectly suited to match his vibe. All in all, Imran is the kind of person you would love to have in your life, not just for entertainment purposes but someone you can have deep conversations with.