Cover Channel

Comment image 54


Two actresses on the covers of two magazines, pretty unremarkable so far…

Left: Jennifer Aniston For Harper’s Bazaar Magazine
Right: Vidya Balan For Andpersand Magazine

… That is, until you get to the part where Jen is channeling Barbara and Vidya is channeling Audrey. Nothing unremarkable about that.

It’s pretty uncanny just how much Aniston manages to capture Streisand in her shoot, pictures of which you can see here. But, let’s spend a moment talking about Vidya, shall we? Whether you are amused or appalled at the Audrey reference, it sure gets your attention! The picture below had ours. And how.

Left: Jennifer Aniston For Harper’s Bazaar Magazine
Right: Vidya Balan For Andpersand Magazine

Photo Credit: Harper’s Bazaar, Bollyupdates

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54 Comments

  1. Gah!

    Vidya is nothing compared to Audrey! And in fact, I see no similarity. At least the Aniston shoot had the aesthetic and one look at Aniston you know who she is channeling. As for Vidya, they had to add in that picture of Audrey for us to know its her she is impersonating.

    Terrible, I say!

    Reply
  2. i loved how aniston so cooly channelled streisand.
    As for vidya balan as audrey (??!!!!) I am appalled, offended, shocked, offended offended offended. pretty much…so yeah.

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  3. uhh phleeze…Hepburn had more of gamine look and Balan’s face is anything but…

    They should have done it for a more small faced actress with petite features and not Vidya who has such strong features….

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  4. Oh…I didn’t even realize that it was not Barbara on the cover…however Vidya fails (terribly). I like Vidya but this cover doesn’t help her.

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  5. how come the moderators don’t seem to find some of the comments on vidya balan derogatory today when so many seem to be commenting on her physicality rather than how she is styled?

    agreed they should have chosen someone with much smaller bones and facial structure to channel Audrey but Vidya does look pretty even if she does’nt look like Audery..

    Reply
    • Soho,
      No one is saying anything bad, so far the comments are differentiating the two different face types. When it crosses over to derogatory comments, it will (and has) not be (been) approved.

      Reply
      • thanks Payal, maybe i am just being a little hypersensitive :)but i find it offensive when someone says they’re appalled and shocked etc.. etc to me those are strong words and its as good as someone saying there is no one more beautiful then Audrey Hepburn and nothing more disgusting looking then V.Balan ever…anyway just my opinion…

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        • Soho,
          There are always going to be some comments that you will never agree with at all. It is an opinion of someone but it doesn’t mean it is the final one and it also doesn’t mean everyone has to agree with it. 🙂

          Reply
          • i am only guessing that you were offended by my comment and for that I will apologize. But when i say i am “apalled” it implies i am talking about the styling. Vidya looks quite pretty when she sticks to her own strengths.
            i have loved audrey hepburn since i was six and she has been an icon to me, as she has been to so many. and i think that if you are going to “channel” a woman who has been a fashion icon for nearly half a century..you better do it well or not at all.

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  6. appalled definitely! vidya – audrey.. nothing short of a joke! and not in a good way.
    love anistons photoshoot though. great actress!

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  7. Vidya looks good in the first one, but the fringe is not working in the second one. pls don’t make her or anyone hold a photo of someone who is known as style icon. it’s like remaking a blockbuster hit movie of all time, when there will be criticisms expected before and after its release regardless.

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  8. Yea Vidya’s face structure/makeup/styling are WAY off. Audrey’s eyebrows were one of her iconic features so this comparison doesn’t work AT ALL.

    Am I the only one that wishes they had Vidya channel maybe Nargis or Vyjayanthimala instead?I feel like Vidya has that classic “old bollywood” face. (I’m NOT saying she looks old)

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  9. This is highly ridiculous. What have they done to Vidya”s nose and neck. Where is the frickin neck?

    Good lord! Vidya can NEVER hold a candle to Audrey. This is highly ridiculous. Otoh, Jennifer does justice.

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  10. I think Jennifer has a clear personality and even after changing her hair and outfits she still comes across as Jen Aniston dressed as Barb. She has had the same hair, makeup, look for ages since she finished Friends. People know her for the same kind of roles. Vidya has a far less engaging personality and somehow I don’t see her as the regaulr Ms Balan in a cotton sari here. She doesn’t look like Audrey but someone has put in effort in these pictures and she looks nice (better than usual).

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  11. I think VB looks different – and kind of cute given the image change.

    Lets face it – it is not likely that an Indian actress is ever going to channel Hepburn unless her genes tend towards that end of the spectrum. Plus I very much doubt if & has the budget of Bazaar which is in the business of fashion (& is not). The Streisand shoot is therefore more professional and no doubt had a lot of funds and stylists-it was going to be talked about in the way the VB shoot will not. The VB shoot seems like a usual shoot to accompany an article. Maybe VB’s stylist could have been more creative but I can’t say she is a fail in the pictures themselves – she hardly looks blank shall we say.

    I think HHC sometimes makes some random comparisons which are usually followed by X bad, Y good in a simplistic way. Simply impersonating another actress is not sufficient for a comparison IMO.

    As for Audrey, I am slightly sick of her style icon thing. Great bone structure which was let’s not forget because of a childhood of deprivation. Classic dresses, had a good designer on hand but never strayed from that template. Average actress. She has her points but let’s not set her on a pedestal.

    Reply
    • Did you forget Holocaust survivor, UNICEF ambassador, fierce single mother, the little black dress?
      Honestly, tired of her “style icon thing.” “Never strayed from that template” ??? Do you know anything about that time period at all? And you’re putting Vidya Balan on a pedestal? Because you think Indians don’t have strong bone structures? Have you seen Lakshmi Menon?

      A little faith in humanity was lost today.

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    • i mentioned style icon because she is known as one, otherwise i am over style icons or any icons. i guess i refuse to godworship anyone or put anyone on high pedestal to realise that i am only making myself and the rest inferior.

      Reply
      • pdaervo having seen very many moons I am aware of all that Hepburn has done and the time period (I also made ref to her bone structure being due to starvation in her childhood). Nevertheless I find it completely ridiculous to gush over someone and pronounce them style icons. More than anything it does them a disservice because they are complex human beings not saints or perfect people.

        Very few Indian women (in fact v few women) have the Hepburn look – Lakshmi Menon is a different kettle of fish.

        Its silly to assume I am putting VB on a pedestal – I only meant to point out that a) the comparison didn’t work for me b) no one should be mocked for impersonating a “flawless” Hepburn.

        In any case its all relative – over at Jezzie they had a few caustic ones for Aniston.

        Reply
  12. Audrey Hepburn is rolling in her grave with this inference. How can a contact lens, bad fringed woman be compared to an Icon, its like saying Rocky S is like Karl Lagerfield or that Nita Lulla is Coco Chanel…..

    Reply
    • I know right Adit. I am in complete shock by these comments.

      I don’t think I’ll be coming back here anymore. These comments have nothing to do with fashion, but instead tearing down an incredible and unique woman that would never say a bad word about anyone. That is true beauty.

      Reply
  13. vidya luks good in the first pic, the second one, well it maybe isnt her fault, but she is the butt off all the ugly reactions at the end of the day…her features are way too strong to be channeling audrey…and the stylist and photographer both got it wrong and the fake bangs luks comical on her!!!

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  14. payal and priyanka,

    i think it would do womenkind a world of good if as owners of a ‘fashion’ site you guys would only comment on styling and clothes and NOT make mean cheeky remarks about the PERSON.

    i sometimes get the feeling that everyone who has ever read this blog would perhaps be APPALLED or AMUSED if they were to see what you guys REALLY looked like.

    look, i had to make a strange comment like that. and i couldnt help myself. there is negativity brewing in all these statements you make.

    Reply
    • Mean and cheeky remarks? Where? This is a magazine cover where only the faces are showing and so it is bound to happen that people are going to compare face types. I think Sheena has already clarified (above) what she was “appalled” by and it was definitely NOT the face.

      As for Ms. Balan, we think she is ridiculously beautiful but having her channel a Hepburn didn’t quite work.

      Believe us, you don’t see the much worse derogatory comments that people leave here. And if you do see some, more often than not, it is because someone interprets something completely different than what the original person had in mind.

      As for people being Appalled and Amused by us, we are OK with that. Not everyone has to like our looks or style and we know that.

      Reply
    • Alicia, what’s wrong with you? Really? Audrey is respected and revered world wide. The commenter was just appalled that the magazine put so little effort in paying homage to Ms. Hepburn.

      There was no offense towards Ms. Balan. You on the other hand have no problem taking the low road and slamming innocent people ON THEIR OWN BOARD!

      Reply
  15. Thje jennifer photo shoot is awesome if you can see it on P & Ps favourite red carper blog. Vidya’s styling is poor in comparison ..though she does look younger with the bangs and the eye make up.. a good change for her

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  16. Vidya’s hair looks like the ends of a wet dog’s tail.
    Or maybe she made a ponytail and pulled it over her head and flattened the ends over her forehead. Or what then?

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  17. And of course they had to add the picture in the cover. Can u imagine this cover without the photo? What’d have been their excuse then?! 😉

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  18. I am completely shocked at the under appreciation of Miss Hepburn here. No one is saying she is God, but to deny that she had impeccable style that is still worshipped today is just pure sheer ignorance, and quite frankly very bad taste. The woman was a rare combination of beauty, grace, and style. That should be respected.

    These are the same people who have no qualms about putting their tacky mall goddess Aishwarya on a pedestal. Go figure.

    Reply
    • Kristy,

      You are contradicting yourself here! You mention you are upset that a woman like Ms. Hepburn is underappreciated and then you go on and call another beautiful woman a tacky mall goddess, one that has nothing to do with the above post!

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    • Yeah, some here have the audacity to hold their opinion that Audrey Hepburn wasn’t as pretty or as much of a style icon as some make her out to be. How dare they!

      Sarcasm aside, different strokes for different folks. Don’t get me wrong, I like Audrey a lot and think she was extremely classy and beautiful but at the same time, wouldn’t take offense if others thought otherwise.

      IMO, Vidya sans the homage to Audrey Hepburn looks pretty good on the cover for her standards.

      Reply

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