BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Madhuri's Orange Look in Kalank

I love a good Madhuri Dixit post, especially as she's an actress who can pull off a gorgeous outfit and still dance beautifully in it.

Her latest to-be released movie is the star-studded Kalank, in which a teaser song has been released featuring Madhuri herself. The actress looks as graceful as ever, in an orange embellished anarkali with contrasting rich purple piping and churidar pants. The dress itself is dreamy - it has several panels to give it that 'ghair' (the flare) and looks beautifully swishy.

I love, love LOVE Madhuri's jewellery, which looks tasteful and elegant - especially her pearl hair piece and her matching pearl and kundan tikka and earring set which all compliment each other. I also like the fact that her makeup and hair is fairly toned down but still looks quite classy and suits her face and her age.

And of course the complimenting outfits of the back-up dancers, the luxurious setting all look amazing against this shot - a good peek at what's to come!

What do you think of this look? And will you be going to watch this movie when it releases?

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: The Divas of the Green Carpet at IIFA 2014

There's been a lot of publicity over the IIFA awards ceremony which took place recently, due to all of the Hollywood and Bollywood celebs who turned up, as well as the beautiful outfits which were showcase. I've been following some of the glamour and glitz on and off the carpet, and here are some of the ones which stood out for me.

I think the lovely Deepika Pudokone created the biggest stir in the fashion world, wearing gold Sabyasachi with deep red lips followed by a pretty floral red maxi dress by Lebanese designer Zuhair Murad (although her hair and make-up were very similar to the previous day). I love the glamorous style Deepika has going on, and I think she pulls it off very well (I also love this vlogger's take on copying her make-up, which I really want to try as well now!)

Next is Priyanka Chopra wore a pretty, cream Monique Lhuillier gown and a Prabal Gurung pencil dress on the carpet, followed by a blingy dress during the show at the ceremony (although I'm not sure who that one is by)

 

Kareena Kapoor dressed in a risqué Giorgio Armani dress (don't worry, I think that's a panel in the middle!), followed by another Giorgio Armani two-piece outfit. I also loved the kurta-style top she wore with white trousers at the IIFA conference, particularly the sleeves with its colourful embroidery - although it did make me notice she wore a lot of black!

 

Next was Bipasha Basu in a a gold Gaurav Gupta gown, followed by a sparkly black Rocky S gown and lastly, a pretty white Sonaakshi Raaj draped sari-gown with Amrapali earring. I'm less keen on the metallic gown, but I though the black gown looked chic and the white sari looks very pretty.

Sridevi wore a glamorous number, an Oscar de la Renta gown followed by a pretty Marchesa dress which reminded me of a slightly Greek-style design.



Sonaksi Sinha wore a DKNY black dress to start with, followed by an Amit Aggarwal long gown, and lastly a Nikhil Thampi ensemble which looked slightly more smarter than her other dresses.

Next is recently-engaged Dia Mirza, one of my favourite style icons, wearing a sparkly pink and gold Sabyasachi outfit followed by a soft apricot-coloured dress by Halston Heritage.

I loved this Sabyasachi dress worn by Kalki Koechli wore a the ceremony, as well as the silvery-grey Gaurav Gupta gown she wore which really flattered her figure. The deep red turban she wore looked great with her Sabyasachi outfit, which added a quirky yet chic twist to the outfit.

Lastly, is the lovely Madhuri Dixit, who looked elegant in a pretty blue sheath by Jatin Varma, and a Sonakshi Raaj light orange sari on the carpet. I thought the two made quite different styles which left Madhuri able to go for a formal look with an updo for her dress, and a more playful look with loose curls and soft makeup with her sari.

These aren't all of the celebrities who attended the IIFA 2014 ceremony, but these are the ones which I liked or which I thought were quite striking - I'll agree with a lot of people on the blogosphere that one of my favourites was Deepika with her dark red lips and Sabyasachi.

You can see more picture of what these celebrities as well as the other Bollywood stars wore over the IIFA events here and here.

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: The Ghulab Gang Icons

I don't often look forward to Bollywood movies, mostly because a lot of them turn out to be chick flicks and full of eye-candy, although admittedly some of them do turn out to be surprisingly good watches.

Gulaab Gang is one film I am anticipating to be a good one - with two of my favourite icons, Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla, it looks like an interesting film and it doesn't seem to be the run-of-the-mill type Bollywood film.

I'm liking the simple costume and prominence of pink saris of this film - there's certainly a strong message in this film about women and feminism (although I'm not sure how much men will like this movie!) While some may argue that these issues are overblown to make a Bollywood blockbuster (and maybe it has), it's still interesting to see a film which is trying to send a message about women in Indian today.

I also like the two posters that have been released for each movie star, although I have to say, Madhuri's one is a lot more scarier!

I love the fact that these two actresses have paired up to make an interesting film like this, and it's something that looks (although dramatic) pretty intelligent. I especially like the chemistry between Madhuri and Juhi, who genuinely seem to have a good friendship with each other (like this!) While I'll wait til I actually watch the film to say whether it's a good one or not, I will say that this is certainly one I expect will attract a lot of attention (and probably critics!) - not least because of the two actresses in it.

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Madhuri's Graceful 'Purana' Style

The glamorous Madhuri's latest flick 'Dedh Ishqiya', co-starring the lovely Huma Qureshi features some sumptious outfits, a lot of which remind me of the old-style courtesans of older era movies past, like Umrao Jaan and Pakeeza. Maybe it's the simple yet striking anarkalis, paired with pretty jewellery and an old-fashioned style to it - but it's something that Madhuri pulls off well.

With costumes designed by Payal Saluja, I'm really liking what I see - classic, simple colours for what the designer calls a "nawabi" (royal) look.

I'm looking forward to seeing more shots of the actresses in this film and their outfits, it's a nice change to see outfits inspired from another era and I like that it's beautifully and realistically done here. I think Madhuri fits the costumes well here, and still retains her unique style too - what do you think of these outfits?

  All images in this post are from Dedh Ishqiya movie and do not belong to me

Bollywood Fancy Dress...Ideas!

I'm attending a Bollywood fancy dress party in a few weeks, and have been trying to think of some iconic outfits which I can copy (based on the contents of my wardrobe and what's easy to replicate!)

Here's the top 5 ideas that I've narrowed down to - I'm still deciding on the pros and cons and what I think would work best though.

1. Madhuri in Hum Aapke Hain Kaun
This is nice and easy, a plain green kameez (I'm sure I can find one somewhere), a white skirt (I already have one, although mine has a bit more lace on it!) I'm thinking I may have a harder time finding the jewellery, but anything close enough would work! Personally I'm leaning a bit towards this one because I feel like I can also make it hijab friendly, and it looks pretty simple to copy.

2. Meena Kumari in Pakeezah
This is one of my favourite iconic Bollywood looks, not to mention one of my favourite golden-olden actresses. The key to this look, in my opinion, is the jewellery, it would be fairly easy to weat a simple, plain anarkali suit and jazz it up with jewellery. The half matha-patti would be fairly easy to find as well, as they are quite popular at the moment too. I'm also quite inspired by Dia Mirza's take on this too, although I doubt I'd be able to look as great as she does! If in doubt, otherwise, I can use one of my mum's old dupattas with tinsel along the hem!

3. Madhuri in Devdas
I have a green anarkali which I've always imagined looking like this outfit, it's a similar shade of green and it has a lot of gold work on it, although I'm less keen on this look than the others. I also love the iconic white and red sari worn by the two actresses in this film for the Dola re Dola song, and it would be easy to borrow a sari in these colours, but this idea has already been taken by the fancy dress party's host! Pity, eh?

4. Anything 60's, eyeliner flicks and vintage Bollywood
...like this Asha Parekh look, sari, eyeliner flicks and all, plus some added beehive. Can I also mention that I love Hema Malini back in her heyday? The only downside to this is that there's no one identifiable iconic look, which I would love to go for. Plus side if, all I'd need it a lot of eyeliner, back combing and some tight kameezes!

 

5. Deepika in Om Shanti Om
I think this would be another outfit which would be easy to copy, a hot pink dress (which I have more than one of!) and some beehive hair styling and eyeliner flicks. I think I would also enjoy trying to create this look, and it does allow for some flexibility in terms of jewellery and make-up. I'm not sure how 'famous' or iconic this look is though, or whether it would be instantly recognisable, which is a bit of a drawback.

 

Other ideas are:

• Something from Jodha Akbar, for a Rajasthani look, although this would involve a lot of jewellery
• The black dress worn by Aishwariya in Taal (nice and easy!)
•  The green lachcha worn by Kajol in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (although I'm not keen on the lime green, I'd love to wear a lachcha!)
• Kareena's t-shirt and salwar look in Jab We Met (okay, not really!)
• Madhubala's Anarkali in Mughal-E-Azam, quite possibly one of the most iconic costumes in Bollywood history, although I think this outfit would be hard to copy.

I'm still googling/asking around/brainstorming up ideas at the moment, and will most likely go to the shops for a few ideas as well.

In the meantime - what would you dress up as for an iconic Bollywood fancy dress look?

KAPRAY SHAPRAY: Satya Pauls' Bollywood Heroines Pop Print Sari

I do like the funky prints of Satya Paul, bold, colourful and dramatic (even if I wouldn't be brave enough to wear some of them!) I've been seeing a lot of pop-art style and faces-prints on lots of dresses and kurtas/kameezes, not to mention a lot of Masaba and Satya Paul saris, so this sari fits right in with that trend.

The sari has prints of famous and golden oldie Bollywood faces all over, with actresses from their more iconic days, with the rest of the sari accented with a rich purple. I love the colours used here, and I like the idea of having Bollywood actresses make up the prints of the sari - although I'm less sure that I'd wear something like this (or where I would wear it to!)

What do you think of this sari? Is it something you would wear?

Image Source

Bollywood Moments...

That awkward moment that you give the love of your life a watermelon. Whether to symbolise your love, or just to be original, it's certainly memorable. And also awkward.

Image from Dil to Pagal Hai

KAPRAY SHAPRAY: Icons in Hot Pink

Iconic Bollywood actresses Sridevi and Madhuri have both been getting some attention (films or entertainment-wise) and I thought this picture of the two actresses was sweet in showing how they are able to complement each other's style without being competitive about it.
Sridevi wore a pretty hot pink lengha with gold and black trim, while Madhuri wore a hot pink sari with a navy velvet blouse - both women sporting very different looks but both also looking beautiful.

Personally I preferred Sridevi's outfit because it was a simpler look, as well as the fact that I'm a big fan of swishy skirts! But I also think that both outfits look equally lovely (and bright!)

Which one do you like more?

Image from Asian Woman Magazine FB group

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Madhuri's 90s Colourama Glamour in 'Dil Tera Aashiq'

Being a 90s (and partly 80s!) child, I'm a real sucker for looking at the bright colours and iconic outfits of that period, because it reminds me of those Bollywood films we used to watch while growing up - and Madhuri Dixit is definitely one icon of the 90s. A good example of this would be one of the family favourites (for us anyway), 'Dil Tera Aashiq', which features Madhuri in a range of colourful outfits and styles which were very typical of both Madhuri's style and the 90s.

First example of the outfits is this rainbow-style sari, a colour combination which actually appeared a few other times in other films in the 90s, although I do love it here. This sari also really reminded me of Satya Paul's multi-coloured, rainbow style saris in his 2010 collection, as seen here and here, especially because of the bright, jewel-like shades used and the use of blending colours into the next.

I remember during this period when two-toned fabric was very popular, and was worn quite a lot at weddings - and this lengha is just one example of it being worn in a purple/golden shade. While Madhuri manages to pull it off with her lovely figure here and a very sweet, girly look, I wasn't so lucky, unfortunately, when I think of all the organza disasters I was paraded in back in those days (grrr!). This lengha is also quite typical of it's time in terms of the fitted top and the simplified work (unlike the heavy outfits of today!)

I really, really love this deep purpley-plum dress, which is a long maxi dress with a split at the front and pretty bronze detail around the neck. It's something which would definitely look great with the fashion trends of today, and also something which wouldn't have caught my eye back in the 90s (probably because I was too busy twirling around and imagining myself in a rainbow dress), but it's something I love now. It looks really elegant and flowy, and the fitted sleeves, the work around the waist and the pretty up-do hair that Madhuri has are all something which look lovely and something I wouldn't mind wearing myself!

Back in the days when singing around trees and magic wardrobe changes were normal and needed no explanation, there were plenty of different outfits in songs, all usually in different styles and colours which I'm sure you all are familiar with! This fresh pink coloured sari is another example of a simple outfit which was often seen in different colours (either bright coloured or pastel colours!) on the heroines of a lot of songs - and on Madhuri I'm glad that it's not over-done with accessories, but with rather a large pair of funky diamante-style studs and some pretty bangles.

Next is this pretty yellow and red long dress and salwar which, again, would not look out of place in today's trends. I also like the fact that the dress seems to be made out of a rich, silky material and again, has a front-split which I remember being in fashion at the time (I owned a few kameezes in this style to attest to this!). Add to this Madhuri's dark red lips which were in vogue and her curly hair, and you have a classic Madhuri outfit!

Then, of course, there is the obligatory imaginary wedding scene which often appeared in a lot of these films. I've noticed that a things which don't really appear in today's films and fashions, such as the 'naath' (nose ring) were quite common then, and of course, the classic bright red lips.

This outfit always reminded me of a few other outfits (such as this song in Maine Pyar Kiya), in the way that the skirt has panels in 2 different colours, and in the jewellery worn. This is quite a pretty look on Madhuri, and of course, has a swishy skirt which can't go wrong!

 Throughout the film, there are random outfits which appeal to me because of the colours used, or the simple styles. Below is a fitted, shimmery gold kameez/dress which was very typical of the style worn in this film, with a light pink dupatta scarf and trousers, which I think would fit very well with today's trends.

 There's also a mujra-style appearance which I thought I'd mention, the pale pinks and darker pinks work quite well with the shimmery gold, and the jewellery (and the hat!) looks pretty good together. Another example of a classic look from the 90s which often appears (with matching background dancers!) in a lot of Bollywood films in this period.

There is also this red lengha outfit which was very typical- I've seen Madhuri in several movies with this type of outfit, especially when doing her classical dances. Again, I like the full skirt made up of panels, and the fact that it uses a lot of colours - although I find the red shade a bit bright!

There's plenty of colour in this film, and a lot of pieces which were very typical of their time. I do like the fact though, that there's a lot of pieces which could be worn today, and the fact that the jewellery and accessories used compliment Madhuri's look and the outfits quite well so they work together. My favourite is still the purple dress (something to keep as inspiration for a future outfit, maybe?) and the fact that she's able to pull off red lips in a way that it doesn't look too much - especially as in today's beauty trends, red lips are usually the focus of a look. Which outfit did you like best?

KAPRAY SHAPRAY: Madhuri Dixit joins the Madam Tussauds Crew

Another Bollywood icon joined the celebrity posse at London's Madame Tussauds last month, after Kareena Kapoor unveiled her model not too long ago. Madhuri Dixit looked prettier than her model (in my opinion!) in a summery yellow sari, and looked as youthful as ever. Can't say I loved the pink sari on Madhuri's waxwork double, but it made a pretty contrast against Madhuri herself. I'm glad she's managed to get a spot in the Museum, as she's definitely an actress amongst many who have made a contribution to Bollywood cinema.

Image Source

Bollywood Moments...

...Madhuri's come-hither eyes moment...

BOLLYWOOD ISHTYLE: Madhuri's Arab Style in Aaja Nachle

The ever iconic Madhuri Dixit's last Bollywood venture, Aaja Nachle shows an array of flowing costumes, following an Arabic dress style which has rich, plain colours and still remains quite modest. I quite like these outfits as these are styles which can easily be adapted into our own dress styles, especially as maxi dresses are in vogue.
The main outfits which stood out for me was this black and green one modelled by Madhuri below:

I also quite liked this yellow and orange one modelled by her (and also the light blue flowy robe that Konkena Sen's character wears):

Although it does feel a bit generic and lacks detail, I still think that this is an interesting branch of fashion being explored here. I also liked Konkona's bridal dress here, which focuses more on simplicity of design and the traditional style jewellery:

And lastly, this outfit worn by Madhuri in her O Re Piya piece also shows a traditional influence, although this is perhaps more Indian than Arab.

All Images owned by Yash Raj Films

I am aware that this is a style that hasn't really seem to have caught on in the asian fashion world, yet I'm sure I am not alone in liking the flowing, modest look and the fact that this film has tried to branch out from the typical heavy lengha look. I also like the use of maxi style dresses and abayaahs, which I'm sure may be relevant to many readers, which they can take design inspiration from.