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 there’s a fish-shaped instrument – all the better to woo her.
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A few more posts on modern interpretations of Ancient Indian Costume where the productions depart from fidelity to historical costume, either because the production follows the norms of popular Indian cinema or modern theatre.
The full Bollywood treatment (i.e. vaguely accurate) for Meena Kumari’s Chitralekha, set in the time of Chandragupta Maurya.
Yet another irresistible courtesan!
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- The main garment was the antariya of white cotton, linen or flowered muslin, sometimes embroidered in gold and precious stones. The antariya was secured at the waist by a sash or kayabandh, often tied in a looped knot at the center front of the waist. The third item of clothing called uttariya was another length of material, usually fine cotton, very rarely silk, which was utilized as a long scarf to drape the top half of the body.
- Kushan costumes may be divided into five types: the costume worn by (I) indigenous people-the antariya, uttariya, and kayabandh, (ii) guardians and attendants of the harem-usually the indigenous and sewn kancuka, red-brown in color, (iii) foreign Kushan rulers and their entourage, and (iv) other foreigners such as grooms, traders, etc. There is a fifth category- a mixture of foreign and indigenous garments. This last category is of great interest as it shows how clothes changed and evolved, how some of the purely draped garments of the Indians were replaced by cut-and –sewn garments, especially in north and north-west where influences were felt more keenly, and where climatically sewn garments were more suitable.
The links to Ancient Indian Costumes above also have a few illustrative examples of costumes and headgear.
It appears that the introduction of sewn clothing in India roughly dates back to the Kushans who came to India in the 1st/2nd century AD. Prior to that a breast band was sometimes worn, though there are a few examples of sewn tops.
Posting a few modern interpretations of the attire of the time (largely I would assume based on India’s abundant statuary and Buddhist frescoes), most of the movies are set in the time of Gautama Buddha.
Seeta Devi, 1925 (by pictosh)
You can see an example of the breast band in The Light of Asia/Prem Sanyas. The film is about the life of Gautama Buddha with Seeta Devi playing the Buddha’s wife.
There are a number of stills at memsaab’s site, the opening scenes of the movie appear to be set in 1920s India.
Vyjayanthimala in the film on the life of Amrapali, the Licchavi courtesan who converted to Buddhism.
Bhanu Athaiya (who also designed for Sahib, Bibi aur Ghulam and later won an Oscar for Gandhi) apparently based the costumes on Buddhist frescoes, though in the frescoes (as in the statues in the first picture), no breast band is worn and the lower half of the costume tends to be the shorter version (the length of the antariya seems to change with time).
Under black hair, which made to tower high on her head, he saw a very fair, very delicate, very smart face, a brightly red mouth, like a freshly cracked fig, eyebrows which were well tended and painted in a high arch, smart and watchful dark eyes, a clear, tall neck rising from a green and golden garment, resting fair hands, long and thin, with wide golden bracelets over the wrists.
Extract from Hermann Hesse’s Siddhartha, also set in the time of the Buddha.
The still is of Simi as the courtesan Kamala in the film adaptation of the novel.
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 a lot of jewellery.
The exact date of the play isn’t certain, it may or may not have been pre-Kushan.
A detailed pictorial review here.
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.
There are so many wonderful Amrita Sher-Gil photographs (and paintings) around that she deserves a tumblr of her own.
The ones I am posting today have been around for a bit but I felt like posting some 1930s fashion. I am still a little surprised that brocade, satin and chiffon were so popular in the 20s/30s.
Long write ups on Amrita here and here, I am not sure how accurate the details are.
Photo credits here.
Today is the birth anniversary of India’s third Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi. Mrs Gandhi’s handloom sarees and simple blouses set the style for women politicians for several decades. Initially as her father’s hostess and later as the Prime Minister, she rarely got it wrong sartorially, whether abroad or at home.
The pictures I am posting today largely date from the 20s to the 60s. Not for any other reason other than the blog being focussed on “vintage” pictures.
PS: I would have loved to post Yousuf Karsh’s portrait of Mrs Gandhi, but there seem to be a few copyright issues, so here’s the link.
PPS: I like Kamala Nehru’s collared blouse and will probably reuse it on a post on them:)
Vintage Indian Clothing 