Category Archives: South Indian Cinema

Parasakthi style in brief

Posted on 13/01/2017 by Anu M

Besides, love between siblings, particularly between the elder brother and younger sister, has become a specific marker of Tamil culture, mainly due to the impact of canonical Tamil films like En Thangai (My Sister, dir. M.K.R. Nambiar and Ch. Narayanamurthy, … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, Actor, Cinema, costume design, film costumes, Film Costuming, Girls, Indian Cinema, Indian fashion, Indian Women, mid century, Movies, Regional cinema, regional styles, retro cinema, retro fashion, South Indian Cinema, Tamil, Tamil Cinema, vintage cinema, vintage costume | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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 , , , , , | 2 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 , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The Regional Cinema Post

Posted on 14/05/2015 by Anu M

For very many reasons Bollywood is Indian cinema.  Now and then regional cinema makes a splash – especially at the National Awards – but for the most part the audiences are local.  You could however argue that all the interesting … Continue reading →

Posted in 21st century, Accessories, Actor, Cinema, Contemporary, contemporary fashion, Contemporary Style, Culture, fashion, Film Costuming, Flowers, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Jewellery, Manipur, Marathi cinema, North East, North East India, Period Drama, Punjab, regional styles, Sari, Sari Blouse, Sets, South Indian Cinema, Tamil Cinema, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Kerala Post

Posted on 26/02/2015 by Anu M

This post was in response to a reader request on tumblr. Its fairly basic and is confined mainly to the 19th and 20th century but does cover some ground. Here goes! Though the “set-mundu” consisting of two pieces of cloth … Continue reading →

Posted in 1890s, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1950s, 1970s, 19th century, 20th century, Accessories, Art, Colonial, Costume, Culture, Early 20th Century, fashion, Flora, Flowers, Girls, Hair, historical costume, historical dress, India, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Literature, Indian Women, Kerala, Late 19th century, Malayalam Cinema, Period Drama, Photography, regional styles, Royalty, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari drape, sari history, Sets, South India, South Indian Cinema, Studio Portraits, vintage costume, vintage fashion, vintage hair, vintage jewellery, vintage sari | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

The 1940s Film Post

Posted on 07/01/2015 by Anu M

இது, இது, இது எல்லாம் ஜப்பான். எல்லாம் செத்து ஒரு ரூபாய் கூட இருக்காது! This, this, this, it’s all from Japan. And all together not more than 1 Rupee! 1940s movies can be a bit amateurish to the modern eye but they can … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 20th century, Accessories, Actor, Cinema, Culture, Early 20th Century, fashion, Film Costuming, Flowers, Hair, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Japan, Movies, regional styles, retro fashion, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari drape, sari history, Sets, South India, South Indian Cinema, Tamil, Tamil Cinema, Tamil Nadu, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, Vintage Dress, vintage fashion, vintage jewellery, vintage sari, vintage style, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

The 1960s in Film – Kadhalikka Neramillai (1964)

Posted on 25/08/2014 by Anu M

Kadhalikka Neramillai (is a 1964 Tamil film. Given that it’s heroines are a pair of wealthy young girls you get plenty of 1960s fashions with a dash of the 1950s. Saris, salwars, slacks and half-saris all make an appearance. The … Continue reading →

Posted in 1960s, 20th century, Actor, Cinema, India, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian men, Indian Women, Movies, salwar, Salwar Kameez, Sari, Sari Blouse, sari history, Sets, South India, South Indian Cinema, Tamil, Tamil Cinema, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage fashion, vintage sari, Women | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The 1960s Post

Posted on 08/08/2014 by Anu M

  Sleeveless blouses and kameez, the just got up and squeezed into my sari/kameez look, mile high hair and dramatic eyes.  A bit of a 50s hangover until the decade is it’s own self. Documenting the 60s on tumblr! Don’t … Continue reading →

Posted in 1960s, 20th century, Actor, Bollywood, churidar kameez, fashion, Girls, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Old Bollywood, Sari, Sari Blouse, South India, South Indian Cinema, Tamil Cinema, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage fashion, vintage sari | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Bang, bang, bang, Its the 1950s!

Posted on 02/07/2014 by Anu M

WordPress has been frustrating – I can’t seem to access it more often than not. Apologies for being away so long. On tumblr as always you can follow sari history and the decade which kind of defined Indian style for … Continue reading →

Posted in 1950s, Actor, Cinema, Culture, fashion, Indian Cinema, Indian Dress, Indian fashion, Indian Women, Movies, Sari, Sari Blouse, South Indian Cinema, Tamil Cinema, Vintage, Vintage Blouse, vintage fashion, vintage sari | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

The 1940s Post

Posted on 22/12/2013 by Anu M

The late 1940s was a time of somewhat boxy, padded blouses.  This blouse on the actress and dancer Suryakumari for example is almost like a man’s shirt (or perhaps more correctly a pyjama top).  As can be seen from the … Continue reading →

Posted in 1940s, 20th century, Cinema, Dancer, Early 20th Century, Indian Cinema, Indian fashion, Sari, Sari Blouse, Singer, South India, South Indian Cinema, Vintage Blouse, vintage fashion | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments