Bollywood’s Love for Dupatta and Saree Over the Decades

KAKALI DAS

In Bollywood romance, vibrant chiffon sarees flutter in green meadows, intertwining with star-crossed hearts, while shared jackets become cherished symbols of love, showcasing fabric as the ultimate cupid.

Costumes in Bollywood films serve as powerful messengers, conveying messages through fabric choices. Off-screen, audiences are captivated by these costumes, especially when romance takes centre stage, illuminating their significance even more.

Costumes play a crucial role in amplifying the visual language of romance in Bollywood films. Alongside the gentle sway of the breeze and the enchanting melodies of violins, the fluttering of women’s dupattas is essential, particularly evident during the golden era of the 1940s and 1950s.

Bollywood’s Love for Dupatta and Saree Over the Decades

The dupatta frequently served as the defining boundary between the virtuous heroine and the seductive vamp in Bollywood narratives. Its presence symbolized respectability and moral standing within the storyline.

Renowned actor Waheeda Rahman famously insisted on having a dupatta added to her ensemble before shooting for the song “Kahin Pe Nigahen Kahin Pe Nishana“.

You might wonder how this relates to romance. Well, in the visual storytelling of films, the respect and honor linked with a dupatta would often be momentarily forgotten when romance blossomed. The notion was that with the arrival of a romantic partner, the rigid codes of feminine propriety could momentarily fade away, sometimes aided by a fortuitous gust of wind.

The dupatta held a significant role in courtship, with the woman teasingly questioning the man’s boldness in pulling at her dupatta, all the while secretly enjoying the playful interaction. In a way, it was a liberating experience for both parties involved.

Romance enabled women to transcend the restrictive norms of the ‘good woman,’ liberating them from society’s regressive mentality.

The trend continued into the 60s with Asha Parekh singing about wanting to stay behind a veil, the 70s with Meena Kumari highlighting social double standards with her dupatta, the 80s with a soulful Rishi Kapoor singing to a veiled Tina Munim, the 90s with the iconic song “Chunari Chunari,” and has persisted ever since with numerous other chartbusters.

Today, the dupatta isn’t as prevalent as it once was, but even when an actor is spotted wearing one, it isn’t necessarily associated with regressive ideas anymore.

Designer Payal Khandwala points out, “The difference is we have the choice now to wear dupatta simply for the romance of it or for its drama, rather than as a symbol of modesty.”

And when the dupatta has soared, can the saree truly be left behind? No discussion of romance and fabric in Bollywood would be truly incomplete without mentioning the iconic chiffon saree. Its appeal is rooted in the escapism it inspires – envisioning rolling green hills, enchanting heroines, and mellifluous melodies in the background, where everything fades away except for the young couple captured in the frame.

When Yash Chopra initially crafted these sequences in films like “Silsila” and “Chandni,” this language of romance was fresh.

In her paper, Rachel Dwyer highlights that Yash Raj heroines exude a vibrant female sexuality. While sarees traditionally symbolized the modest Indian woman, the chiffon saree introduced a new dimension. It portrayed a woman in love—still embodying virtue, yet when adorned with the chiffon saree, the heroine transformed into an object of desire, infusing romance with a fresh sensuality.

Directors such as Karan Johar, Farah Khan, and Rohit Shetty drew inspiration, ushering in years of heroines elegantly draped in chiffon sarees. Yet, at times, the chiffon saree evolved beyond symbolizing love, veering more towards representing lust.

Songs like “Kaante Nahi Kat Te” and “Tip Tip Barsa Pani” exudes the saree’s ‘erotic’ allure.

While these wet saree sequences are frequently viewed as provocative and voyeuristic, Dwyer points out that they align with our cultural association between rain and sexuality. Additionally, they challenge the conventional notion that female sexuality should be modest or concealed. In stark contrast to the typical modesty associated with a saree, here the woman is depicted as embracing and celebrating her sexuality with joy.

Similar to the evolution of the dupatta, the saree has shed the regressive connotations once associated with it. In earlier films like “Purab Aur Paschim,” Saira Banu‘s character transitioning to wearing sarees conveyed a moral lesson. Even Anjali’s significant wardrobe transformation in “Kuch Kuch Hota Hai” marked her transition into the epitome of Rahul’s ideal woman.

Now, the concept of chastity has been replaced with freedom, and the saree, even when not dripping with “barish ki boondein” (traces of raindrops), is employed to amplify the actors’ sensuality.

However, while the saree continues to maintain its popularity, the charm of romantic sequences featuring heroines clad in chiffon sarees has diminished. Previously, romancing in exotic localities provided audiences with a sense of escapism. Yet, with increased accessibility, it no longer holds the same allure.

In “Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani,” Karan Johar pays homage to Yash Chopra with the saree in snow sequences depicted in the song “Tum Kya Mile.” However, despite its aesthetic appeal, it’s hard to deny that we view it with a hint of scepticism.

Actresses have frequently voiced their displeasure with this impractical aesthetic of draping a light chiffon saree while shivering in cold amidst snow-clad mountains on numerous occasions.

Perhaps it’s for the best that the trope of icy romance is now a thing of the past! As tropes involving sarees and dupattas fade into obsolescence, newer romantic symbols have emerged since the early 2000s.

Nowadays, we observe the use of towels, blankets, and most notably, the sharing of clothes as popular romantic symbols. Unlike classic Bollywood films where marriage was often the ultimate goal, contemporary narratives portray couples overcoming external obstacles throughout the film to solidify their romance and relationship.

In her book ‘Conjugations,’ Sangita Gopal highlights that contemporary Bollywood films pick up where Classic Cinema left off. Thus, newer movies delve into the intimacy between young couples after they commit to each other, exploring their relationships both within and outside of marriage.

India has undergone rapid urbanization and witnessed an increase in gender mobility, alongside a transition from the joint family to the nuclear family structure. Consequently, contemporary romantic narratives now navigate through themes and scenarios that were once considered taboo.

In “DDLJ,” when Kajol wakes up in Shah Rukh Khan‘s shirt, she is initially taken aback by the perceived loss of her modesty.

Now, with the increasing acceptance of various relationship dynamics, we are also embracing the diverse forms of intimacy that accompany them, often facilitated by fabric. Today, we witness portrayals of premarital sex, unmarried couples cohabiting, breakups, and a plethora of other relationship dynamics in cinema.

Nowadays, directors exhibit fewer inhibitions regarding intimacy on screen. While we may reminisce about the days when dupattas and sarees were essential elements of romance, we must acknowledge that this shift represents a refreshing twist in the ever-evolving relationship between cinematic love and fabric.

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