Category Archives: Indian Cinema

Stunt Queens of the 1930s

Posted on 05/10/2013 by Anu M

Next evening we too saw her as she sat in front of the Well of Death, looking bored, chain smoking Scissors cigarettes.  She wore a “birjis”* of shining blue satin, and her heavily painted face looked weirdly blue in the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, Actor, Cinema, Early 20th Century, Feminism, Indian Cinema, Indian Women, Old Bollywood, Vintage Dress, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Period Film Post

Posted on 02/10/2013 by Anu M

The Period Film – 1960s Calcutta in Shadows of Time. Sleeveless blouses, updos, pale lipsticks and a focus on the eye makeup. The actresses: Tannishtha Chatterjee and Tillotama Shome. The movie: [X]

Posted in 1960s, Bengal, Cinema, Indian Cinema, Period Drama, Sari, Sari Blouse, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The 80s Post

Posted on 17/09/2013 by Anu M

In the 80s: “Contrast piping” blouse which picked up the sari colours (pic 1 on Rekha). Matching blouse pieces based on the sari (pic 2 on Shabana) or the border (Pic 3 Courtesans of Bombay)-these pieces were often separate and not … Continue reading →

Posted in 1980s, Actor, Bollywood, Cinema, fashion, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian Women, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage fashion, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The “Sari Wrap” Post

Posted on 23/08/2013 by Anu M

Judging by portraits in the decade, a sari style like a warp was quite popular in the 1930s. It appears to be wound once so the sari border crosses or falls around the knee and then wound again to drape … Continue reading →

Posted in 1930s, 1960s, Indian Cinema, Sari, Sari Blouse, Sari Dress, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

The Village Post

Posted on 22/07/2013 by Anu M

Achhut Kanya was directed by Franz Osten and shot in the Bombay Talkies studio on Europeanized sets of a typical Indian village. It has been cloned times without number ever since in Hindi films.The Indian village, in its romanticized image … Continue reading →

Posted in Bollywood, Early 20th Century, fashion, History, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Old Bollywood, Rural, Sari, Sari Blouse, Village, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Nargis

Posted on 27/06/2013 by Anu M

Nargis illustrated by colonelhathi at tumblr. I love the daffodils (aka nargis flower) at the side as a finishing touch.  And divine blouse. Here are the screencaps on which it is based. Which kind of makes the illustration even more … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, Actor, Bollywood, Early 20th Century, Indian Cinema, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, Women | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Bright Young Things in the 1940s

Posted on 12/05/2013 by Anu M

For upper class fashions of the late 1940s you can go no further than Andaz (1949) in which Nargis, Raj Kapoor, Dilip Kumar and Cuckoo play giddily modern Bright Young Things. The centrepiece of the film is Nargis and the actress looks perfect in … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, Actor, Indian Cinema, Romance, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, Women | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala

Posted on 12/04/2013 by Anu M

Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (d 3 April 2013) is probably better known for her collaboration with Merchant-Ivory on their period dramas.  But early on the trio made a number of movies set in India based on Jhabvala’s books/scripts. A few pics from the 1960s. … Continue reading →

Posted in 1960s, Cinema, fashion, Indian Cinema, Novels, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The 70s Post

Posted on 28/03/2013 by Anu M

A little bit on the 70s-era of Khatau Terene, Bombay Dyeing Polyester, 70s prints and little matchy blouses made of rubia or 2 by 2 fabric. And a bit on the middle of the road cinema and its fashions in … Continue reading →

Posted in 1970s, fashion, Indian Cinema, Sari, Sari Blouse, Vintage, Women | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Tamil Cinema Poster Post

Posted on 14/02/2013 by Anu M

I love that so many old Tamil film posters have just the actresses on them and you get to see different kinds of attire. The first film is Madanamala, where the heroine is a dancer. The second,Devamanohari, features a princess. The … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 1950s, 20th century, Cinema, Courtesan, Dancer, Indian Cinema, Sari, Sari Blouse, Tamil Cinema, Women | Tagged , , , , , | 5 Comments