There was a time when Vidya Balan was accused of poor fashion choices. But how tables have turned. Talent over body is what is working at the box office. Back in the day, even Kajol was not particularly thin, but she was loved incredibly for lighting up the screen.
With her brimming talent and choice of films, Balan has shut up almost everybody-shamer who accused her of being a ‘fashion disaster’. She has transformed into an actor whose fashion for her roles is relevant and spot-on. Nothing about her on-screen dressing is outlandish or unreal.
Be it Begum Jaan, The Dirty Picture, Kahaani or No One Killed Jessica, Vidya somehow has been able to breathe life into her characters not only with her powerful histrionics but also with her simple, relatable wardrobe.
Take, for example, her upcoming family film, “Tumhari Sulu”, which has been garnering a lot of attention of late. She plays a simple middle-class housewife and manages to look so identifiable and alluring in a minimal make-up, cotton sari look. Something all of us women can relate to!
Balan seems to have the capability to add her own personal charm and turn a plain jane-esque character into something ‘sensual’ without any of the taamjhaam of branded clothing; none of the exaggerated Sonam Kapoor kind of posing.
Balan as Sulu has been able to portray a desi middle-class housewife as someone seductive and desirable not only through her look but one who also has enough caliber to play a naughty RJ at a night show on a radio station.
Even if at certain places, as ‘Sulu’ you might think of Balan as being cute, she is effortlessly able to turn it around and bring the adjective ‘provocative’ to your mind even without doing anything outright sleazy or cheap.
Truly hats off to the actor in her to have been able to add that spice of sexiness in a belan holding and chores-running housewife.
In the meantime, here is how Vidya Balan has mastered the art of fashion and costumes to add an edge to her characters:
1. Begum Jaan
In Begum Jaan, Balan really did look like an Independence era Madame, running a brothel.
Her stance, her outfit, her uni-brow, the way her skin has a tanned quality to it; all lent authenticity to her character.
2. Ghanchakkar
While the film may not have done as well as expected, what caught our attention was Balan’s wardrobe.
The 70s inspired and extremely ostentation clothing, bordering on tacky really gave an indication of how her character would be.
Read More: “No One Has Ever Crossed The Line With Me”: Vidya Balan On The Harvey Weinstein Scandal
3. The Dirty Picture
The film that truly ascended Balan to becoming a superstar, showcased her like never before. She was bold, risqué and uninhibited, and danced her way into people’s hearts with the typical loud south-Indian vamp-style dressing.
4. Ishqiya
Ishqiya is impossible to imagine without Vidya Balan. Her costumes might have given her the illusion of being a regular village woman who could be scared easily, but she was one firecracker not to be messed with.
5. Parineeta
Her first Hindi film and she charmed, allured and tantalised, as Lalita, the quintessential Bengali beauty. Simplicity has been Balan’s strength and that’s a rarity in Bollywood these days.
Image Credits: Google Images
Other Recommendations:
http://edtimes.in/2017/10/filmi-rants-kuch-kuch-hota-hai-was-st-and-im-a-shahrukh-khan-fan/
