Throwback Thursday: An Evening In Paris

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This week let’s throwback to ‘An Evening In Paris’, the Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore starrer. To be honest, I don’t quite remember the movie, but the leading lady sure left a lasting impression.

I love the Sharmila of Ray’s movies (that’s another post entirely) but this one was quite something else. Maybe it was the poise and elegance with which she imbibed the fashion of late Sixties, a fashion era that am quite partial to. She delivered the style of the time and then some- bouffants, dramatic cat-eyes, tightly draped saris with short pallus and blouses knotted at the back that she wore through the movie.

I am a child of the Eighties and didn’t discover this movie until much later and by then it already had the vintage appeal I have since come to love. (If you follow me on Instagram, you know.)

Though the styling wasn’t particularly path-breaking or novel for the time, the reason why it holds up so well even today is essentially because of Ms. Tagore. Some of the most stylish cinematic moments/movies have worked because of both the fashion employed and the chemistry brought in by leading ladies’ style in to the mix. And Sharmila sure made those chiffon saris look super chic in Paris!

Sharmila Tagore In ‘An Evening In Paris

A stand-out moment from the film was when Sharmila burst on to the screen in a swimsuit. A scene that caused mild controversy and some censoring on TV, but one that cemented the movie’s high-on-style status. Can we all agree she nailed the look? I mean it’s not easy competing with that blue unique to South of France and still come out on top!

Anyone who can rock a one-piece swimsuit with pigtails is a-okay in my book. But kids, don’t try this at home.

Sharmila Tagore In ‘An Evening In Paris

I wish I was able to source better images but this was all we could get our hands on. If you have any memories of this movie or any other that you particularly remember for the fashion of its time, I’d love to hear it!

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18 Comments

  1. Throwback is always fun.

    I had covered bits n pieces of this film on my blog (vintageindianclothing dot tumblr dot com, its also on insta). The costumes also have a little bit of the East and West, good twin and bad twin thing that Hindi movies love::). The swimsuit wasn’t a big thing I am guessing given Sharmila’s floral bikini for a Filmfare shoot a year earlier – a few stills with pigtails!

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    • From what I understand, the movie had already begun shooting before/or around the same time the Filmfare cover had come out. She wanted to wear a bikini in the movie but the filmmakers convinced her to go a more conservative route. On the cover however, she got her way!

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  2. You should check out the interview with Sharmila Tagore and Shakti Samant in the program called “Jeena Isi ka Naam hai”. In that interview, Shakti Samant mentions that Sharmila Tagore wanted to wear a 2 piece swimsuit and he had to struggle to convince Sharmila to wear a modest 1-piece suit.

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  3. id like more coverage than what is already seen n known through movies and old media potsts… but this lady was way ahead of her time when it comes to sartorial taste.

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  4. Throwback Thursday by Priyanka puts the focus on the fashion aspects of Sharmila Tagore in the film An Evening In Paris.There is not a single word written about her acting prowess which is unfair to the actress.She played myriad roles with amazing varieties with stunning ease and finesse be it the coy Kashmiri belle in Kashmir Ki kali or the sacrificing mother in Aradhana.She had a wide variety of histrionic capabilities.

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    • Not written a single word about her craft with good reason- this is a fashion blog. I’ve never talked about ANY actor’s filmography or their skills outside the context of this blog’s content on these pages. 🙂

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    • Yeh chaand sa roshan chehra
      Yeh neeli si neeli aanken…………
      Taareef karu ya uski…

      Agree with Sana she was way ahead of her time in fashion. As far as I remember she was the first to wear swim suit in Indian cinema.

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  5. One of my style favorites from the 60s is Vyjayanthimala in Sangam. The boat neck sleeveless blouses, myriad white sarees in gossamer silks and chiffons coupled with pearl gold jewelry, red bindi is beyond gorgeous. Timeless classics, I guess Raj Kapoor’s taste, especially his penchant for whites shows.

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    • Those were the times of setting trends..! I mean this blog can go on and on and cover the golden era endlessly.. maybe that would get more interesting and sets a fashion revolution in current dressing/styling scene *ambitious*

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  6. May I correct Saphire – Vaijantimala in Sangam or more accurately Nargis in a RAJ KAPOOR film was the first to wear a swimsuit in a Hindi film.

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  7. really liked Zeenat aman’s sense of fashion in Hare Rama, Hira Panna and some of her earlier movies.. great outfits which went well with her persona…some of them accessorised well with jewellery added upto a really classy look

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