Bollywood’s reality check

Anushka Sharma’s recently revealed look from Sui Dhaaga was much appreciated for it’s authenticity and is an indication of how mainstream Bollywood is changing.  Away from the usual glamour, gloss, bling, chiffons and stilettos, mainstream Bollywood is now opening up to their leading ladies embracing a look of everyday, middle-class Indianness. This look has a charm of its own, that had been eclipsed for very long time by the stereotypical B’wood glam girl look. Films like Bareilly ki Barfi and Dum Laga ke Haisha too have been appreciated for the authenticity of it’s characters. But is this a mere phase or is this trend here to stay?

Director Avinash Das feels that  such looks have just found a new market. He says, “A director has his or her own way of representing society. Be it Bimal Roy’s Do Bigha Zamin, Nargis’ look in Mother India or the entire era of parallel cinema, portraying everyday look has been a part of Bollywood ever since. Parallel cinema failed because it didn’t understand the market and couldn’t prove itself in the market. Now it’s just new streams of cinema having developed over a period of time.”

He also feels the audience is changing now. “They are not accepting whatever is thrown at them. With the advent of social media, the audience has become smarter as they have access to world cinema. For directors these days, there is no option but to be original,” says Avinash, adding, “At the same time, there has been a struggle to bring a change in the stereotypical glam look. With Karan Johar’s cinema there will be no change. While Sairat was as simple as it could get, in Dhadak, one can expect some masala. They will not compromise on looks in the cinema they make because that is their  audience and market.”

A scene from the film Dum Laga Ke Haisha

Commenting on this growing trend in Bollywood, Designer Nida Mahmood says, “When you are working on a very realistic look, it’s not a easy job to get it done. To get under the skin of a concept and get the idea, it’s very important to do the ground work. Research is required to get the correct depiction of the era and the class that the film is set in. There are all sorts of people making all kinds of movies but this genre is picking up because the organic green Indian genre has become very big now. That is why people are interested in watching realistic cinema. It is one of those things defining this era. It is an interesting space.”

However, Seema Pahwa, who acted in the films Bareilly ki Barfi, Dum Laga ke Haisha and Ankhon Dekhi, is more skeptical of the trend. She says, “Everything has a shelf life. Cinema keeps changing through time. I think the audience gets bored of the monotonous portrayals on the screen. So when the audience is treated to something different they appreciate it even more. And the moment, the industry notices any such change or acceptance from the audience, cinema drifts that way.  Earlier, it was the loud Punjabi family that garnered all the attention, today, the trend is to show a family based in a small town in Uttar Pradesh.”

Nida Mahmood, Designer

She feels that the audience and Bollywood measures the film as per box office. “If a film like Masaan or Dum Laga Ke Haisha does well at the box office, then we will see a replica of such more, and vice versa. But then again once this phase gets over, we will be back to chiffon, bling and stilettos. But for next few years’ audiences are and will continue to appreciate such films.”

Designer Namrata Joshipura seems positive of the changing looks of Bollywood. She says, “Both, the viewer and the maker have evolved in terms of their asthetic. They are more accepting of reality. A lot of it is to do with films now hiring very good costume designers and stylists for their films. That contributes to the authenticity of what is being shown out there.”

She also feels that movie stars like Anushka Sharma are known for getting into their characters. “So I think it is the combination of very committed actors, filmmaker, and a committed designer or the stylist that they hire. When the role comes out looking that strong, why would a viewer not embrace it,” she concludes.
— Inputs from Nirtika Pandita