A handful of thoughts

Welcome to the first Bolly chick flick. You got it right. This article is about fashion in Aisha. The true protagonists of this film are its clothes and its style. The list of stylists and designers in its title credits is far longer than the cast. Ferragamo, Dior, Chanel, Salvatore, you name it and someone in the film is wearing it. For once the couture in Bollywood has got haute and has come of age. Outfits that until now were only seen in the likes of Sex and the City or Pretty Woman or The Devil Wears Prada, is to be seen in Aisha. Dresses, lehengas, hats, silhouettes, bikinis, and so on. And for a refreshing change, parties did not mean LBDs or Red noodle strap gowns (except for the salsa dance party where Sonam wore a red dress complementing perfectly the Latino ambiance). Lots of beige, black and mauve were seen on Sonam, whereas the character of Ira Dubey known for her slightly abstruse sense of dressing had on greens and purples, graphic prints and funky head gear topped with her bold black geeky pair of spectacles. Aisha’s masi played by Anuradha Patel is the typical upper class hostess and matron with her ropes of pearls, her French bun and her chiffon saris. To go with the style was the L’ Oreal make up kit that worked wonder on all the ladies. Pernia Qureshi, the designer of the film has got it all right. From the behenjis to the babes and from the chicks to the aunties, all have been simply fabulously done.

If you are wondering why I am not going into the editing or the storyline of the movie, let me tell you that there’s nothing in its story or cinematography or editing that you haven’t seen already in Bollywood. But the one thing that has made it stand out from all its peers is its STYLE. Moreover, the upper class Delhi world that we see here is also so very Austen. Just like Austen, the characters here are solely about the idle rich (the landed gentry in Austen) who spend their time spending (dad’s) money, matchmaking, swooning over imaginary distresses, attending races and balls and baking chocolate sponge cakes. Just like in Austen, Aisha ends with the ringing of wedding bells (song here) and gives you a feeling that life is all about getting married to a rich guy. And well, I don’t mind that at all when it comes to me wrapped in designer clothes, chic stilettos, leggy lasses and delicious dudes. Don’t expect the movie to give you a hangover, just like its characters, the movie is like that pink candy-floss sold outside theatres - you place it on your tongue and it disappears leaving a faint sweet taste and a tinge of pink.