Not for nothing is the 1950s referred to as the Golden Age of Indian Cinema. While India was just a newly independent nation, there was a lot of hope and motivation in the hearts of its people. The cinema of that era reflected that among themes of modernity vs traditionalism, rich vs poor in an India that was still shaping up. The cinema played a great role in defining and shaping both men and women fashion in the 1950s.
A glimpse into the cinema of that time reveals a trend towards both Indian and western attire. The influence of the British Raj was still very much there, and this is visible in menswear as well as womenswear. However, there was a visible shift in fashion towards Indian wear and this was primarily influenced by the attire of leading bollywood actresses of that time.
Leading Indian actresses paved the way for fashion and style via their characters like Nargis in ‘Shree 420’ looked chic in her sarees with loosely fastened pallu Or Vyjayanthimala in ‘Madhumati’ and ‘Naya Daur’ in her earthy avatar bringing rural India to the fore. It was either a long skirt with blouse and dupatta or saree with a modest fitted blouse Or Madhubala with her child-like innocence and playfulness in movies like ‘Chalti ka naam gaadi’ etc in her demure saris Or Nutan (Miss India 1952) in her elegant and graceful sari attire in ‘Seema’. There were numerous others who also gave the humble sari their own charm and grace.
Sari became the quintessential fashion statement of the Indian women – a means of expressing themselves freely and confidently. The 1950s was also the era of doing more with less. To complement the saris, the hairstyle was usually fuss free and out of the face with neatly plaited braids or tied long hair.
Walk down the memory lane with some memorable pictures of the leading bollywood ladies and their attire – The humble sari
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