Role Play!

Say goodbye to Jeetendra’s white shoes, Amitabh’s polka-dotted waistcoat, and Sridevi’s fairytale costumes! Remember Rajesh Khanna and Dev Anand’s signature dance moves, and Sadhana’s generic hairdo? In ‘70s and ‘80s Indian cinema witnessed stars who had predefined styles. And these styles rubbed off to the characters that they played. Things got better in the ‘90s, Read More">Read More

Say goodbye to Jeetendra’s white shoes, Amitabh’s polka-dotted waistcoat, and Sridevi’s fairytale costumes! Remember Rajesh Khanna and Dev Anand’s signature dance moves, and Sadhana’s generic hairdo?

In ‘70s and ‘80s Indian cinema witnessed stars who had predefined styles. And these styles rubbed off to the characters that they played. Things got better in the ‘90s, when Aamir Khan really dressed up as Munna in Rangeela, and Manoj Bajpai as Bhiku Mhatre in Satya.

Tables have turned in the new milieu. Instead of the actor deciding the style of the character, the character decides the style of the actor. Today, actors seek help of professional designers to get under the skin of the character, quite literally! Let us analyze the best character-based costumes worn by our heroes and heroines – the best Role Plays in current Bollywood.

Naseeruddin Shah Role: Bhai Saab Movie: Omkara Naseeruddin Shah plays the role of a political leader in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara. His character demands him to look spiteful and dominating- and essentially North Indian. So Naseer went completely bald for this role, Read More">and wore Indian dhotis. He added a pair of black glasses to his garbRead More

Naseeruddin Shah

Role: Bhai Saab

Movie: Omkara

Naseeruddin Shah plays the role of a political leader in Vishal Bhardwaj’s Omkara. His character demands him to look spiteful and dominating- and essentially North Indian. So Naseer went completely bald for this role, and wore Indian dhotis. He added a pair of black glasses to his garb for the ultimate bhai saab look.

Read More">Hrithik Roshan Role: Aryan Movie: Dhoom 2 Call him Mr. A or Aryan – Hrithik Roshan surely won back the heartthrob status after his stint with Sanjay Gadhvi’s Dhoom 2. Stylist Anaita Shroff Adjania devised his look so as to make him appear scruffy (because he plays the role of a thief) yet sexy (becauseRead More

Hrithik Roshan

Role: Aryan

Movie: Dhoom 2

Call him Mr. A or Aryan – Hrithik Roshan surely won back the heartthrob status after his stint with Sanjay Gadhvi’s Dhoom 2. Stylist Anaita Shroff Adjania devised his look so as to make him appear scruffy (because he plays the role of a thief) yet sexy (because he has fab abs that can not be ignored). With black leather jackets and breezy shirts, Hrithik stole the show all along in Dhoom 2.

Amitabh Bachchan Role: Eklavya Movie: Eklavya When AB plays the royal guard, he knows he has to look exactly like one. Amitabh’s efforts to get under the skin of Eklavya are evident through his attire. Since the movie is set against the backdrop of imperial Rajasthan, Read More">director Vidhu Vinod Chopra knew that the look ofRead More

Amitabh Bachchan

Role: Eklavya

Movie: Eklavya

When AB plays the royal guard, he knows he has to look exactly like one. Amitabh’s efforts to get under the skin of Eklavya are evident through his attire. Since the movie is set against the backdrop of imperial Rajasthan, director Vidhu Vinod Chopra knew that the look of the protagonist had to be traditional. He roped in designer Raghuvendra Rathore, who comes from a royal family himself, to design the costumes and the turban for Mr. Bachchan. AB tried several false beards till he found the right one to complete the brawny “royal guard” look!

Aishwarya Rai Role: Umrao Jaan Movie: Umrao Jaan If Abhishek was cut-out for a Gurukant Desai, Ash was cut-out for an Umrao Jaan! Could anyone be more graceful to carry off traditional Indian clothes, and yet manage to look appealing? The costumes and jewellery, of course, were perfect, Read More">given the backdrop of a kotha inRead More

Aishwarya Rai

Role: Umrao Jaan

Movie: Umrao Jaan

If Abhishek was cut-out for a Gurukant Desai, Ash was cut-out for an Umrao Jaan! Could anyone be more graceful to carry off traditional Indian clothes, and yet manage to look appealing? The costumes and jewellery, of course, were perfect, given the backdrop of a kotha in the Lucknow of olden times. We wonder if anybody except Ash would have been able to play the role of a courtesan as beautifully as Rekha did in Muzzafar Ali’s Umrao Jaan.