B-Town’s Ageless beauties: Jaya Bachchan, Dimple Kapadia, Rekha and Hema Malini

Terrific genes, an inherent sense of style and an all pervading charisma coalesce together to create these legends. Whether they’ve been on screen or off it, they’ve cultivated a signature look, which never looks dated, no matter what. Jaya Bachchan has always been an ardent supporter of indigenous textiles. Designer-duo Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla, who’ve been dressing Mrs Bachchan for decades now, hail her as the ‘rule breaker’. Sandeep recalls, “It began as a professional association, which soon evolved into a deep friendship.”

Dimple Kapadia has often been seen as a reference point for her inimitable and languid take on style. “She’s very spontaneous and likes to have a good laugh. She knows what looks good on her. She’s experimental with her casual clothes and is always elegant,” says designer Payal Khandwala.

On the other hand, Rekha and Hema Malini have painted their own sartorial canvases — think handwoven saris. One common thread running among all of them is their penchant for textiles and all things beautiful. After Hrs decodes their sartorial sense...

A TIMELESS MUSE: Jaya Bachchan

“Her petite frame is no barrier to her indulging in her love for extravagant volume or floor-length silhouettes. She is a muse on many levels — as an actor, woman and human. An acute eye for impeccable craftsmanship and a deep respect for us as professionals make her a dream to dress,” says designer Sandeep Khosla.  

A few years ago, Mrs Bachchan looked elegant and impossibly chic at i premiere in New York in a Nachiket Barve sari and sported her signature bun. “There’s always something fresh and exciting in her thoughts and that makes her truly ageless,” says Nachiket.

AN ARTISTIC TEMPERAMENT: Dimple Kapadia

Over the years, Dimple has been an Abu Jani-Sandeep Khosla loyalist and has always cut a fine figure in their ivory-meets-gold chikankari embroidered creations. “Dimple’s unparalleled physical beauty is matched by her artistic temperament. Fierce, fragile, highly sensuous and sensitive, all these qualities combine to give her a bohemian-like spirit, which is reflected in her style of dressing. She is part nomadic gypsy and part regal queen. Cotton, muslin khadi and linen were made for her. Dimple works every look to perfection. Fabulous in full-on glam and simple khadi. We love her in gold and her hair is more than magic,” says Sandeep.

However, there’s an ease, a refreshing simplicity and a charming nonchalance about every ensemble she dons. “It’s a natural extension of who she is. She is confident and doesn’t care about fashion but about her personal style. She’s a happy person who paints and her dressing reflects her approach to life,” adds Payal.

LARGER THAN LIFE: Rekha

The very mention of Rekha conjures up a goddess-like silhouette glistening in temple jewellery and ornate gold Kanjeevaram saris. Over the years, she’s stayed true to her larger-than-life persona and often throws one off-kilter with off-the-wall picks like a turban. Stylist Eshaa Amiin says, “At photographer Dabboo Ratnani’s calendar launch, she looked stunning in her artfully-knotted head scarf. Every head piece of hers tells a story and she’s shown different ways of wrapping and knotting fabrics into a turban. It’s quite epochal to rock sunglasses at night. Also, she wears a maang tika to an event and it never looks OTT on her. Not everyone can pull it off, but she has the personality to rock it. Be it her red lipstick, her sunglasses or her sindoor, she’s created her own style vocabulary.  

WOMAN OF SUBSTANCE: Hema Malini

The eternal dream girl and an active parliamentarian and Bharatnatyam exponent is always a vision in ethnic ensembles — whether she’s performing on stage, running errands or is snapped by paps at the airport. With vibrant colours, embroidered saris and her signature winged eyeliner, she’s the epitome of a rockstar grandmama, who’s juggled her family life and a phenomenal career beautifully. Straddling the worlds of glamour, politics and the arts, she’s someone who has maintained herself well. Her glowing skin is an inspiration to a lot of women spanning generations. With time, she gets even more stunning and youthful, which makes her synonymous with agelessness. Stylist Aastha Sharma says, “Nobody can touch her style. She looks beautiful even in a simple salwar kurta. She’s a classic beauty who can never go out of style.”