C for Chopra, C for chiffon

Whatever the era, the quintessential Yash Chopra heroine remains the same...

C for Chopra, C for chiffon

Not only did Yash Chopra leave his legendary stamp on every film he made, every costume that his heroine draped also became iconic in its own domain.

Sridevi in Chandni

From the virgin white saree fluttering in the breeze to the tight-fitting churidaars that displayed the leading lady’s curves, each and every fashion element that the legendary filmmaker introduced in his films went on to become a rage.

Sadhana in Waqt

Interestingly, what Chopra’s heroines wore on-screen somehow managed to exude the exact persona they were meant to portray in their films. In Dil To Pagal Hai, Madhuri Dixit’s buttercup yellow salwar kameez made her exuberant personality shine through. Wrapped in her chiffon sarees, Rekha became the quintessential ‘other woman’ in Bollywood. The Chandni look became synonymous with Sridevi.

Madhuri Dixit in Dil To Pagal Hai

Several of Chopra’s heroines essayed the bubbly girl-next-door. Naturally, Juhi Chawla showed up in baby pink and sunflower yellow salwars to let her inner child giggle aloud in Darr.

Preity Zinta in Veer Zaara

In Waqt, the sophisticated Sadhana was given perfectly coiffed hairstyles and elegant jewellery. Clothes too became an essential element of the moviemaking process, helping the director paint the perfect portrait of his heroine.

Rekha in Silsila

And the foremost reason why ‘the Yash Chopra look’ worked like magic is because of his heroines’ extreme professionalism just like their director to work under extreme conditions. The bandwagon of ladies braved the icy cold winds on the snow-capped Alps in very little other than the chiffon saree and their charm.

Little has changed over the years when it comes to the great director’s style of filmmaking. No wonder then that chiffon French or desi will forever stay associated with evergreen romantic Yash Chopra.

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