The Style Diva!

Hi all my readers! Hope all of you’ll are making the most of the weekend by chilling in your Pj’s or partying?? All of you might be wondering that this Friday which movie did I watch and what are the reviews for the same!! Raaz reboot and Pink released this weekend one starring our adult star Emraan Hashmi and the latter starring the legend Mr.Bachchan, sadly neither of the movies built any curiosity that made me hit the theatres this Friday! So what am I writing about then this Sunday??? I guess Bollywood is full of fascinating stories, so I thought maybe I should share something with you’ll that truly is inspiring for me and one such is about my favorite style icon in Bollywood: ZEENAT AMAN.

 Not many us know about her, but I am sure if any us will go to our parents and just take her name, our parents will have quite a few things to share about her, probably her best movies or her pop music or the trends she set in our country.

 Zeenat Aman was the daughter of famous scriptwriter Amanullah Khan, who wrote scripts such as Mughal-E-Azam and Pakeezah. After completing her studies from California she returned to Bombay, she took up a job of Journalist in Femina and then eventually got introduced to modeling. Ponds and Taj tea are few of the ads to name from. She entered the Miss India contest and was the third runner up, to go to Miss Asia/Pacific a title she later won. Eventually she was introduced to films but her first two films bombed at the box office.

Miss Asia-Pacific.

Zeenat Aman was the third choice for the junkie ‘Janice/Jasbeel’ character in Dev Anand’s ‘ Hare Rama Hare Krishna’, (1971) opposite himself and then reigning queen Mumtaz. She was almost packing her bags to leave the country, but fate had something else planned for her, the film was an instant hit and Zeenat  Aman walked away with all the praises shunning Mumtaz. Never before had the Hindi cinema seen a newcomer overshadow the reigning queen. She won the Filmfare Award as Best Supporting Actress. For the first time, the Indian audience accepted a woman who played a ‘less than pure role’ in a movie.She went to become one of the highest paid actresses of her times.

Zeenat  Aman went on to revolutionize the Hindi Film Actress not only with her choice of films and characters but also her costumes. Our Bollywood had divas sporting non-breathable and non-movable suits with those forged over the top hairstyles. She was the first Indian actress who refused bouffants, cropped a bob at the height of her career. She was the actress who just let her hair down straight and was being herself.

Her bright yellow and orange hues printed bell sleeved crops or tunics and bell-bottoms and lungis with those retro glasses and bindi became one of the top trends in our country. People called her sex goddess or a rebel but none highlighted her candid carefree attitude. She was the Rani of 70’s Retro and Diva of 80’s Disco.

In 70’s we saw her in beautiful tailor made wide legged pants and maxi skirts with long hip length shirts or cropped bell sleeves blouses. She made the plunged neckline chic. Every girl literally owned a choker, chunk pair of earrings and a broad belt after her famous looks from Yadon Ki Baraat. How can I not mention about the sheer wet bare minimum drapes and cholis in another distinctive role of a small village girl in Satyam Shivam Sundaram.

 She continued to be a rage amongst all. And then came the era of all the glitz and glamour 80’s. Zeeny Baby (that’s what all her fans called her back then) was wearing all the shimmer and sequined gowns with those dare to bare cuts and slashes. To top it off there were metallic headbands and heels.

                            

Her looks never failed to create a trend among the masses. She is one of the actresses who dare to wear a bikini in her films maximum number of times. She hardly appeared in saris and bindis and could easily carry off a bikini dress without looking offensive.

She did a lot of films in her career spanning for almost 18 years. I have seen quite a lot of films of her (all thanks to my mom), and have listed down my 5 favorite films and top 10 songs, that I love listening to and are there on my Ipod’s old pop playlist as well.

10 favorite songs not just for music but for fashion as well.

1. Dum maro dum
2. Chura liya hai tumne jo dil ko
3. Laila main laila
4. Heera ki tamana hai
5. Do lafzon ki hai dil ki kahaani
6. Jiska mujhe tha intezaar
7. O meri soni
8. Aap jaisa koi meri zindagi mein aaye
9. Aise na mujhe tum dekho
10. Bheegi bheegi raaton mein

 Not just her films and music remain etched in our hearts but her fashion and style also remains among all of us. She is still a muse to a lot of fashion designers and stylists. 

I have curated a few looks from the trends that Zeenat aman dared to generate in her films, which are currently running parallel in 2016.

Choker and gold hoops

Broad Brown Leather belt.

Yellow shirt and wide legged pants.

Paired Long maxi skirt with Long denims shirt.

Brown woven leather belt

Bright Neck scarf

 So all you girls out there can style yourself like one of the biggest style diva of our country from a few basics in your wardrobe and grab some eyeballs wherever you go next time.

Love,

Cine Closet.