Obsessed: Kareena's Outfit in "Dil Mera Muft Ka"

Earlier this month, Bollyfans went abuzz when trailers for Kareena Kapoor's much talked about mujra in Agent Vinod came out. While most were probably paying attention to the song and dance, I for one was oggling over her beautiful outfit!.

It was hard to find pictures that do justice to it, so I suggest watching the video to get the full effect. I love everything about the outfit. The color, style, and most importantly how good it looks on Kareena. With a bit of a modern twist on the mujra, this outfit is sexy without being trashy. 

Interestingly, the suit looks pink in the video, but red in most pictures. Not sure what the real color is, but the pink is simply ravishing. Red would be a bit too harsh, in my opinion (though she did pull it off in Chammak Challo). 

 

I already wrote about how much of a fashion icon Kareena is, so will this Anarkali look go down in history and start another trend? Well I definitely think the Anarkali style will be creeping its way back into mainstream Indian fashion after this number. Kareena strikes once again.

Hi! Magazine needs to say BYE to its photographer

Okay, not that I know anything about photography, but how does one manage to make such beautiful people look so hideous? Well Hi! Magazine can surely tell you how. I'm not sure if it's bad photography or bad photoshopping or even just bad makeup/styling to blame for this, but these August covers are not okay. First up is Saif Ali Khan on the cover of Hi! Blitz:

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The usually hunky and dashing Saif looks almost sickly in this picture. With a headline proclaiming that he's "back" he sure doesn't look happy to be so. The white background makes his skin look deathly pale (did the dementors get to him?) and that bad haircut isn't helping things. Add that not-so-sexy smouldering expression to the mix, and Saif pretty much looks like a creature of the night. Or an alcoholic that hasn't bothered to bathe in a while (Slouch some more, will you? It's really helping.).

Yeah, I'm definitely being way too harsh on one of my favorite actors in the industry but I'm not blaming him! I'm blaming the magazine for putting out this atrocious photo. That plain red shirt also looks like the magazine took their styling cues from the dying Aman of KHNH. 

Oh Saifu, don't worry, we know you're better than this! But, please, that haircut needs to go.

Then there's Sonali Bendre. Remember that bombshell beauty that never really made it that big even though she was absolutely gorgeous? She's 36 now (the last time we saw her was in KHNH about 7 years ago) but still shouldn't look this bad on the cover of Hi! Living:

First of all, that outfit is gorgeous and Sonali of all people should've been able to rock it. But it's not her fault that this is clearly a bad angle (Tyra would tell her to "find her light") and a botched photoshop job.

Seriously, why would you do that to her face? She looks kind of demonic and literally does not look like herself. I thought photoshop and airbrushing technology existed to "enhance" people's natural beauty (aka make them look better). This is a great example of when not to photoshop--Sonali is a natural beauty. Leave her alone! I realize that every photo probably needs a bit of alteration to reach today's impossible standards but this is ridiculous. Do these editors not have eyes?

Sonali, sign up for a new film and show the world how beautiful you really are.

As a side thought, are these even "original" Hi! Magazine pictures? We all know that magazines tend to recycle old pictures (especially magazines that aren't totally top tier) so maybe these pictures aren't actually Hi! Magazine's doing. In which case, the magazine fails even more. Why would you willingly choose these photos? 

Kapoor Khazana! Kareena the Fashion Icon

Kapoor Khazana month  continues!

Ever since her debut in 2000, Kareena Kapoor's filmi fashions have been some of the most memorable, if not influential, to her audiences. Her outfits have either started real world trends, or just shocked us (in both good ways and bad!) In 2008, Kareena also became the first Indian actress to launch her own clothing line  No matter what, Bebo's outfits are usually the ones to remember. Here are some of Kareena's outfits that were the personally the most memorable for me.

 It was really hard to pick just one Kareena look from her infamous character Poo in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) so I went ahead and picked the outfit she was first introduced in. This outfit is the definition of diva (as was her character): pink jacket, mini skirt, sparkly tube top, and a fur scarf to top it off. Let's not forget those colored sunglasses that were oh so in style back then. Kareena's outfits in this movie were undoubtedly meant to represent the "modern" girl, with her skimpy tops and even skimpier bottoms. It was modern enough back then, but looking back it's just the epitome of 90s fashion--which just makes the whole thing even better, dontcha think?

 This look was from the adorable song "Eli Re Eli" from Yaadein (2001). I'm pretty sure that after watching this song I went around for at least a week with my hair in pigtails, and wearing any purple shirt I could find. Lavender became (and still is) my favorite color around this time, and now I'm wondering if this song could've had any influence on that. This look was normal enough, but somehow managed to make an impression on me.

 Ah, Main Prem Ki Diwani Hoon (2003). The movie with the talking cartoon bird. The movie was a little ridiculous but I always enjoyed the songs, including this one--"Bani Bani" and arguably the most beautiful red lehnga I have ever seen (I tend to hate red in Indian wear, for the record). Kareena looked magnificent in it and for a while afterward, I insisted on buying myself tikka forehead jewelry, just because Kareena looked so bomb in it. 

I also went through a lime green phase at one point. And this green kurti Kareena wears in the song "Let's Do Balle Balle" from Fida (2004) just screamed out to me. I loved everything from the color to the sleeves on this top and wanted something just like it (I never found it). I think this outfit was the perfect fusion between traditional filmi and modern filmi. It wasn't a sari but it wasn't skimpy halter top either. It had all the glitz and glamor of Bollywood but with a western twist.

Don (2006) was full of great fashion and Kareena's character was no exception. She played the small but pivotal role of Kamini and sizzled in this gold dress in the item song remake "Yeh Mera Dil." Kareena looks sexy, curvy, yet sophisticated in this glamorous gold number. If I had somewhere to wear this dress (and if I could pull it off) I totally would. But it seems like this dress would only be appropriate for seducing Don ;)

Only Bhatinda ki Geet from Jab We Met (2007) would wear such an outfit: a long t-shirt paired with a Patiala salwar. As ridiculous as it sounds, it clearly worked out amazingly as this fashion trend apparently became a craze among youth in India when the film came out. The outfit fit Geet's careless, free-spirited, and modern character perfectly. She also sports a similar look in parts of Golmaal 3 (2010). Generally, it's the perfect look for the modern Indian ladki. And it's just plain cute! Kareena's "Mauja Hi Mauja" outfit from this same film also made quite a splash, as I discussed in a previous Kapoor Khazana post.

Here we see little Bebo all grown up as she plays Avantika, a psychology professor in the film Kurbaan (2009). Her look was perfect for an Indian intellectual living and teaching in the United States.With her long Jaipuri-style skirts with churidar pants underneath and her beautiful paisley scarfs, Kareena embodies the character of a progressive Indian woman. Kareena's makeup was also done beautifully in the film. I took inspiration from her thick, winged eyeliner. Sounds simple enough, but hers was just divine.

From Desi diva in 2001 to geek chic in 2009's 3 Idiots. Kareena's look has surely matured as she plays med student Pia in this blockbuster film. The nerdy, yet sophisticated glasses paired with a tinge of Desi adaa (the nose ring) make for one sexy (future) doctor. Loves it!

As you can see, Kareena Kapoor is extremely versatile in her fashion and is able to pull off almost anything. Her looks have also progressed along with the times allowing her to fully adapt to each of the characters she plays. As of now, my favorite Kareena look is the one from Kurbaan (don't tell my 12 year old, pigtail wearing self). What's yours?

Is Bollywood fashion no longer influential?

I just read this really interesting article which reports that designers are saying Hindi films no longer have much of an influence on popular fashion. The masses are no longer shopping for a certain "Madhuri sari" or Madhubala's anarkali kameez because, well, an iconic fashion trend in Bollywood hasn't emerged in so long.

The article blames this lack of influence on the "fading aura" of Bollywood stars as well as audience's exposure to international fashion through other mediums (magazines, Internet, etc.). In my opinion, I think the main reason is a fairly simple one: Bollywood fashion no longer makes a statement. In other words, it's no longer over-the-top, or even gaudy if you will.

A lot of this might have to do with the recent globalization trend in recent films. With a lot of newer Bollywood films taking place in metropolitan areas like New York, London, San Francisco, etc. we are seeing more western fashion than ever. Even films that take place in India (especially youth-oriented ones) show most of their characters wearing western clothes. And who uses Bollywood to inspire their western fashion? I mean, when's the last time you went out looking for Katrina Kaif's denim shorts?

When today's Bollywood films do depict Indian fashion, they fail to make a mark. I think there's a trend towards elegance and simplicity so that when you do see a heroine in a gorgeous sari, it's sheer and simple--not heavily embroidered and flashy. There's nothing wrong with that, but if you're not showcasing anything different or iconic, what are people gonna try to copy? There have been iconic characters in recent Hindi films, but not for their fashion. How would one really dress like Munni?

The article also states that a possible reason for the decline in Bollywood fashion is the fact that Bollywood doesn't have a "superstar" anymore, mostly due to overexposure of celebrities. I think this is completely untrue. Bollywood most definitely still has superstars. As for heroes, veteran actors like Shahrukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, etc. still have their massive fan followings and so-called "overexposure" through media and sites like Twitter have only added to their popularity.

On the other hand, I think it can be argued that Bollywood doesn't have a female "superstar" right now, but I think this is mainly because of the relatively short shelf-life of Bollywood actresses. Previous superstars like Aishwarya Rai or Rani Mukherji might be considered too old (for the record, I think that's BS) to still be reigning superstars. But promising newcomers like Deepika Padukone or Sonam Kapoor are still too young and fresh to have attained superstar status. So, in terms of a heroine, Bollywood is currently in flux. But hopefully not for long.

The article makes a very valid point about Bollywood's fading place in the fashion scene, but I think the reasons behind this are definitely debatable. What do you think?