Until about a couple of decades ago, few stars in the Hindi film industry made statements of individual style. Some were way above the rest though. Shashi Kapoor looked particularly distinct in the 60s, the influence from the West having rubbed off on his style. There were others too: Dev Anand way before Kapoor came along as a big hero, and Zeenat Aman among women who triggered off a complete revolution in women’s dressing. The difference between then and now originated from one simple fact though. Professional designers with extensive knowledge of styles around the world – Rocky S, Manish Malhotra, Neeta Lulla and others – didn’t make much of an impact then. Until the early 80s, such designers were practically non-existent in Bollywood’s space anyway. But once they came along, everything changed. Check out the gallery to see which stars have made the best use of designer look in modern times.
