For long Rekha has been synonymous with Kanjeevaram sarees, deep red lip colour and gajra-embellished tresses, Shabana Azmi for her ethnic wear and Meena Kumari for her penchant for ghararas. Heroines in Hindi cinema have always spawned trends and sparked off fads. And two style bombshells in particular have made all the difference. Zeenat Aman and Parveen Babi rocked the film world with their bohemian chic and timeless sassiness. With bold bikinis, halter necks, knotty blouses, flirty frills and thigh high dresses; the two celebrated fashion that had attitude and chutzpah. While Zeenie baby was supposed to be all things chic and western, the sexy Parveen was often referred to as the poor man’s Zeenat Aman. The emancipation and the sense of adventure they brought to their dressing, continues to influence the Indian woman even today! Let’s check out how they dressed to impress…
The Bold, The beauty & the Bikini
Babe-watch!
Parveen Babi’s voluptuous curves and silky mane was the stuff technicolour fantasies were made of. She had effortless charisma and became an overnight phenomenon in Yeh Nazdeekiyan with her bikini number. Parveen was savvy and sexy and embodied the new Indian woman.
Zany Zeenie!
Zeenat Aman in her heyday, was every man’s desire. And with that superhot bod she was the perfect bikini model. In Pukar, she wore it with such aplomb that her peach floral frilled top and sarong, proved to be quite the rage. She carried her free spirit attitude so well that even her simple appearances like the peach one or even the one in Dostana made a statement.
Action replay
In a sexy sequinned gold costume Priyanka Chopra looked super hot in Dostana. And Lara Dutta chose to wear her peach bikini with a sarong in the movie Blue.
Sizzling statements
Gradually, Zeenat Aman created a niche for herself by taking the unconventional route. While there were those who stuck to the saree-clad Sati Savitri image; she opted for the deep ‘V’ necklines and outrageous silhouettes. Even her long slit skirts were quite the rage. Her cutwork matte pink gown in the movie Chaila Babu or even the sequined gold outfit in Qurbani were classy.
Dazzling decolletage
Parveen Babi sizzled her way through with her carefree confidence. Her white and silver gown with the plunging neckline in Shaan was a popular number. She always kept her low necks simple without too many accessories and matched her deep cuts with a string necklace as in the red and gold ensemble (Do Aur Do Paanch). Her Indian outfits too were daring just like the one in Rang Birangi because she melded the traditional with her own brand of sensuality.
Neck deep
Not that plunging necklines are the talk of the town anymore but somewhere Zeenat and Parveen showed that you could show cleavage without looking cheap. For example Malaika Arora Khan in Dabangg, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Dhoom 2, Kareena Kapoor in Kya Love Story Hai or even Kangna Ranaut in Fashion looked sensual and smokin’ hot.
Arabian bliss: Twisted tunes
Parveen really knew how to work the Arabian ensemble with her quirky tastes. The purple and pearl outfit in Chandi Sona was a hot favourite, with the headgear adding the much needed flamboyance. Her other two appearances in Mr Aashiq Mera Naam and Razia Sultan too were a visual treat for every fashionista with traditional accessories adding the shimmer.
Modern twists
Actresses like Kareena Kapoor in her guest appearance in Billu or even in Jab We Met and Anushka Sharma in Band Baaja Baaraat wore harem pants but with modern cuts and patterns. And it’s a no brainer to know that since then these have become a regular among youngsters.
Arabian bliss: Getting groovy
Zeenat too donned the Arabian avatar and sizzled in it. Her look in The Great Gambler was sassy while the one in Ali Baba Aur Chalis Chor was a simple abaya with a contrasting headgear. She carried off both the looks gracefully.
Bandana Babes
Hot pick
Zeenat sure loved her bandanas. Like her other favourites, this too was another quirk in her stylish wardrobe. In fact, she loved them so much that she was spotted wearing them off-screen too. Her headband look in Samraat added oomph to that classy black and silver gown as well as to her casual attires.
Stylish appeal
The Babi babe worked her bandana look with confidence. Even though she was referred to as the poor man's Zeenat Aman, she wore similar clothes differently. The glittering bandana pepped her sequined look in the movie Aahutee.
Retro charm
The bandanas help glam girls today to get the retro look. Aishwarya Rai Bachchan donned it in Action Replayy and so did Deepika Padukone in Om Shanti Om. Do you also remember how cute it looked on Katrina Kaif in Ajab Prem Ki Ghazab Kahani?
Crowning glory
Parveen’s look in the movie Ameer Aadmi Gareeb Aadmi was an instant rage. She bought in an interesting change to the contemporary headband. Priyanka Chopra was seen following suit in the movie Fashion with a similar head embellishment.
Flower power
A Parveen Babi special. Close your eyes and you’ll effortlessly recall what she’s wearing. Loved her look in Amar Akbar Anthony! Recently, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan wore the rose with the same confidence in Guzaarish.
The ‘X’ factor
So, it was Parveen who made the first move to dazzle in this cut. She exposed those sexy curves in Mahaan. But today, it's become quite the trend. Kareena Kapoor wore a similar cut in Billu, Priyanka Chopra in Dostana and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in Dhoom 2.