Category Archives: Indian Cinema

RIP Jayalalithaa

Posted on 08/12/2016 by Anu M

Jayalalithaa – 24 February 1948 – 5 December 2016

Posted in 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, 20th century, Actor, Cinema, fashion, Feminism, Indian Cinema, Indian fashion, Indian Women, late 20th century, Politicians, Politics, retro cinema, retro fashion, Sari, Sari Blouse, South India, South Indian Cinema, Tamil Cinema, Tamil Nadu, vintage fashion, Women, Women Rulers | Tagged chief minister, jayalalithaa, Tamil Nadu, tamil nadu politics, women chief ministers, women politicians | 2 Comments

आषाढस्य प्रथमदिवसे मेघमाश्लिष्टसानुं वप्रक्रीडापरिणतगजप्रेक्षणीयं ददर्श॥१.२॥ Ashar has come, filling the southern sky with A cloud, frolicksome as an elephant About to charge, he seems to lower his tusks. (translation of lines from the Meghadoot from here). The month of Ashadh … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, 4th century AD, Ancient India, costume design, Costumes in Cinema, Culture, film costumes, Film Costuming, Hairstyles, historical costume, historical dress, historical fashions, historical hairstyles, Indian Aesthetics, Indian Cinema, Indian Costume, Indian Literature, Indian men, Indian Theatre, Indian Women, Romance, Sanskrit Drama, Sanskrit Literature, sari drape, Theatre | Tagged 1950s play, 1970s cinema, arun khopkar, ashadh, Ashadh ka ek din, film costumes, indian costumes, Indian Theatre, Kalidasa, mani kaul, mohan rakesh, monsoon, rekha sabnis, theatre costumes | 2 Comments

Shanta Hublikar

Posted on 05/07/2016 by Anu M

In the sequence above, we notice that, even in parody, Kesar and Moti manage to find a private mode for communicating desire for each other. Though the lyrics might deride silly love songs from Chandidas and Achhut Kanya, Moti’s wit … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, Costumes in Cinema, Early 20th Century, fashion, film costumes, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Marathi cinema, retro cinema, retro fashion, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage Blouse, vintage sari | Tagged 1930s, aadmi, Manoos, prabhat, Shanta Hublikar, v shantaram, vintage style | Leave a comment

Dream Girls and Boys

Posted on 04/07/2016 by Anu M

The iconic Tamil writer Kalki once described her as ‘Kollum Vizhiyaal’ — one who could kill with her eyes! [X] Thyagaraja also had a very good stage presence sporting long hair and earrings. [X] Around the time that video cassettes … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 1940s, Cinema, Early 20th Century, Family, film costumes, Indian Aesthetics, Indian Cinema, Indian men, Indian Women, Tamil Cinema, vintage cinema, Vintage Men, vintage style, Women | Tagged 1930s stars, 1940s stars, dream girl, men wearing earrings, mk thyagaraja bagvathar, mkt, singing stars, Tamil Cinema, tr rajakumari | Leave a comment

Bombay Stars

Posted on 01/07/2016 by Anu M

We returned from abroad via Bombay. I admit to the ostentatious glamour of the film world there and the intoxication and heady glamour that accompanies it. I also admit to the dearth of deeper imagination or an ascetic dedication to … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 1950s, Bengal, Bengali cinema, Bollywood, Cinema, Early 20th Century, fashion, India, Indian Cinema, Indian Singers, Indian Women, Regional cinema, retro cinema, vintage cinema, vintage sari, Women | Tagged 1930s stars, appearance, autobiography, beauty, Bengali cinema, fitness culture, Hindi cinema, Kanan Devi, zubeida | Leave a comment

In the 1960s

Posted on 24/06/2016 by Anu M

I had a query awhile ago on styles for students and young women in the 1960s. While I answered that privately I thought a few points from it might be interesting to some of you. For comparison screencaps (top) are … Continue reading →

Posted in 1960s, Actor, Bollywood, churidar kurta, Costumes in Cinema, fashion, film costumes, Films Division, Hairstyles, India, Indian Cinema, Indian Costume, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, retro, retro cinema, retro fashion, retro hair, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari history, Vintage Blouse, vintage cinema, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion, vintage hair, vintage sari | Tagged 1 am 20, 1960s, 1960s fashion, 1960s India, 1960s sari, an evening in paris, churidar kurta, Documentary, Films Division, sari, sari blouse, Sharmila Tagore, vintage blouse, waqt | Leave a comment

The costumes of Dadar Kirti (1980)

Posted on 03/04/2016 by Anu M

Dadar Kirti (1980) is based on a Sharadindu Bandyopadhyay story and is a highly fun, easy watch with a charming ensemble cast doing it justice. While it is not subtitled, a rudimentary knowledge of Bengali is enough to enjoy the movie. The movie … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980s, 20th century, Accessories, Actor, Bengal, Bengali cinema, bindi, Cinema, Costume, Costumes in Cinema, Dancer, Early 20th Century, film costumes, Film Costuming, Girls, Indian Cinema, Indian Costume, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Textiles, Indian Women, Manipur, Movies, Period Drama, Regional cinema, Regional period drama, regional styles, Sari, Sari Blouse, shawls, Vintage | Tagged 1980s cinema, Ayan Bannerjee, Bengal Sari, Bengali cinema, Bihari sari, Dadar Kirti, Debashree Roy, film costumes, indian cinema, Mahua Roychowdhury, Period Drama, regional styles, Sandhya Roy, sari, sari blouse, Sulata Chowdhury, Tapas Paul | Leave a comment

The costumes of Devdas (1936)

Posted on 20/03/2016 by Anu M

Devdas may well be summarised by these three screen captures:) Saratchandra was 17 when he wrote Devdas, it is likely the author himself thought the novel an immature work in later age. Despite it being a “youth novel” and despite the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1910s, 1930s, 20th century, Accessories, Actor, Bengal, Bengali cinema, Cinema, Colonial, Costume, costume design, Courtesan, Culture, Dancer, Early 20th Century, fashion, film costumes, Film Costuming, Hairstyles, Indian Cinema, Indian Costume, Indian fashion, Indian men, Indian Women, regional styles, Romance, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari history, Vintage, vintage costume | Tagged 1930s, 1930s fashion, 1930s styles, 1936, Bengali cinema, costume design, devdas, indian cinema, Jamuna, KL Saigal, Rajkumari, sari, vintage sari | Leave a comment

The Period Drama Post

Posted on 26/02/2016 by Anu M

A look at a few contemporary period dramas in regional cinema, almost all are set in the 20th century. मी वेगळी आहे विन्या (I am different, Vinya). The staging of a play in Ravi Jadhav’s short, Mitraa, during which Sumitra realises … Continue reading →

Posted in 1880s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 20th century, Actor, Bengal, Bengali cinema, Costume, Early 20th Century, fashion, fictional detectives, Film Costuming, Indian Cinema, Indian Costume, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian men, Indian Women, Late 19th century, Lesbianism, Literature, Love, Malayalam Cinema, Marathi cinema, Novels, Period Drama, Regional cinema, Regional period drama, regional styles, retro cinema, retro fashion, Sari, Sari Blouse, Sets, South India, Tamil Cinema, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage costume, vintage fashion | Tagged 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, Bengal cinema, Bhoo Kailas, Byomkesh Bakshi, india, Indian Women, Jeevan Smriti, Jogajog, Kadambari, Kavya Thalaivan, Malayalam Cinema, Manjadikuru, Marathi cinema, Mitraa, Mitrachi Ghost, retro cinema, saree blouse, sari, Shala, Subramaniapuram, Tamil Cinema, Timepass, vintage | 3 Comments

A short list of Indian period dramas

Posted on 26/02/2016 by Anu M

While doing posts on contemporary regional Indian period movies, I made a rough list of Indian period films. These are listed below. Some are historicals but the bulk fall into the 19th and 20th century. The list is fairly rough … Continue reading →

Posted in Actor, Ancient India, Bengali cinema, Bollywood, British Raj, Colonial, Costume, fashion, Film Costuming, historical costume, History, Independence, Indian Cinema, Indian Costume, Indian fashion, Islamic Dress, Medieval India, Movies, Mughal India, Old Bollywood, Regional cinema, Regional period drama, regional styles, retro, Sari, Sari Blouse, South Indian Cinema, Vintage, vintage cinema, vintage fashion | Tagged ancient india, colonial India, contemporary India, historical films, india, indian cinema, medieval India, Mughal India, period costumes, Period Drama | 4 Comments