Leena Daru: Hema Malini in Seeta Aur Geeta (1972)

The range spans from the 1950s when Nadira turned into an image of empowerment in high-waist Jodhpur trousers and cravat scarves in Aan (1952) to the urbanite fashion ladies of Veere di Wedding (2018), and includes every giddy costume extravaganza that came in between.

Poll

Who will win the Punjab Elections?

BJP 32.86%

AAP 41.43%

INC 25.71%

Submit

View All In Poll

Assomull writes in her introduction: "When I became the launch editor of Harper's Bazaar India [2009], my knowledge of Indian cinema was to deepen—our cover girls were nearly always actresses. Fashion purists often critisised this, but the fact is that in India, for many women, films remains an inspiration".

Xerxes Bhathena: Parveen Babi in Namak Halaal (1982)

Printed on tint-and-bling super-matt veneer, the book's pages hold generously numbered sketches and a foreword by Malhotra himself. That the book carries a narrative structure makes it engaging. We take in the colours, lightness of tone—especially when Assomull is discussing context—and assorted morsels of sartorial information offered by a few credited costume designers.

We gather as we read on, that the title consists largely of detailed descriptions of clothing styles and their impact on a particular period. The interviews with Sabyasachi Mukherjee, Sandeep Khosla of Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla, Muzaffar Ali, Neeta Lulla, Anna Singh and Anju Modi are accompanied by comments from magazine editors, film critics and stylists, who help summarise the mood boards. But it rarely moves beyond the hallowed bunch.

Perhaps insights from the great geniuses of the 1970s and '80s, like Xerxes Bhathena, Leena Daru, James Ferreira who worked for Kishore Bajaj's Bada Saab, or Oscar winner Bhanu Athaiya among many others, or even noted fashion journalist Meher Castelino, would have added a dash of authoritative nostalgia, which the book may perhaps have used to build on its heft as a definitive guide.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates