Category Archives: Romance

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

The Historical Drama – Manthiri Kumari

Posted on 27/11/2012 by Anu M

The full Madras cinema treatment (i.e. also not very accurate) for a film adaptation (Manthiri Kumari) of the Tamil Buddhist classic, Kundalakesi. The attire includes a short embellished tunic (with a good degree of frills) and a jewelled belt for the leading lady. And … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient India, Buddhism, Costume, Indian Cinema, Period Drama, Romance, Sari Blouse | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Utsav/Mṛcchakaṭika

Posted on 24/11/2012 by Anu M

Your garment’s border, red and fair, Is all a-shiver in the air; Another courtesan, this time the fabulous Rekha playing Vasantasena in the film adaptation of Mṛcchakaṭika (The Little Clay Cart). The garment is in fact red in the movie and given Vasantasena’s wealth, she wears … Continue reading →

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Santosh Sivan’s Asoka

Posted on 24/11/2012 by Anu M

Santosh Sivan’s epic film of the Mauryan King, Asoka, surprisingly sticks to a simple, subdued palette and body decoration for the princess Kaurwaki. Again not quite the choli but perhaps a sewn breast band. And the film it appears is fairly authentic in terms of plot.

Posted in Ancient India, India, Indian Cinema, Indian History, Period Drama, Romance, Sari Blouse | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Book Cover Post

Posted on 08/11/2012 by Anu M

Apart from the movie based on Maitreyi/La Nuit Bengali, the book covers also leave much to be desired featuring as they often do a generic exotic Indian woman barely indicative of the decade in which Maitreyi takes place. The first … Continue reading →

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The Epic Post – Shakuntala

Posted on 13/10/2012 by Anu M

byeloriszanianka: July, 1957 issue of the China Pictorial (Ren Min Hua Bao) shows a still of China’s National Youth Theatre’s performance of dramatist Kalidasa’s Shakuntala to commemorate the 5th anniversary of the founding of the China-India Friendship Association. Shakuntala is … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, Ancient India, Asia, Period Drama, Romance, Sari, Sari Blouse | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Epic Post – Shakuntala

Posted on 13/10/2012 by Anu M

And last an interesting peek into the making of the dress of ancient heroines, including  Shakuntala, in the Amar Chitra Katha comics. No doubt a Shakuntala of the 21st century would again be quite different (though we can perhaps skip this soap opera … Continue reading →

Posted in Ancient India, Comics, India, Literature, Period Drama, Romance, Sari, Sari Blouse | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Epic Post – Shakunatala

Posted on 13/10/2012 by Anu M

Shakuntala has also been filmed a fair bit. Surprisingly MS Subbulakshmi dispensed with a blouse in the Tamil movie Sakunthalai (directed by the American, Ellis R Dungan).  Other film depictions like V Shantaram’s also discard the blouse. All employ a number of flower garlands … Continue reading →

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The Epic Post – Shakuntala

Posted on 13/10/2012 by Anu M

  Sacontala says goodbye to Madhavi. Illustration for La Civilizacion by Don Pelegrin Casabo Y Pages (Mir, Tarradas, Comas, 1881-82). Shakuntala first appeared in the West in a William Jones translation and its not surprising the German romantics loved the drama. Subsequently Theophile … Continue reading →

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The Epic Post – Shakunatala

Posted on 13/10/2012 by Anu M
Posted in Ancient India, Art, India, Literature, Romance, Sari, Sari Blouse | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment