Bakshy on the ramp: Dibakar Banerjee to launch retro fashion line

Filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee, whose next Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is set in the early 40s' Calcutta, seems to be influenced by fashion of the bygone era. Banerjee plans to launch a retro fashion line!

Filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee, whose next Detective Byomkesh Bakshy is set in the early 40s' Calcutta, seems to be influenced by fashion of the bygone era. Banerjee plans to launch a retro fashion line!

Swastika-Mukherjee-Sushant-Singh-Rajput-and-Divya-Menon-at-an-event-at-the-Mahalaxmi-Race-Course-Mumbai-Photo-Yogen-Shah

In the period leading up to India’s Independence, in the ’40s, erstwhile Calcutta was witnessing a lot of change. Having been a city of much importance throughout the British rule, it had become truly cosmopolitan. There weren’t just Bengalis, but the British, Americans, Chinese, Armenians and Afghans, among others. As with fashion anywhere, the city assimilated all these different influences.

Filmmaker Dibakar Banerjee, who’s done a fair bit of research on the city during the ’40s, says, "Politics, war, crime and the Independence struggle was the scene... Dhotis teamed with jackets, war-surplus overcoats and army uniforms set the style. Girls were increasingly becoming open-minded about what they wore. Americans living in the city were giving it a taste of swing and jive."

So extensive was Dibakar’s research, and so enamoured by it all is the film-maker now, that he sees the potential for reviving that fashion. Along with Sushant Singh Rajput, his lead actor for his upcoming film, he now plans to launch a retro fashion line. A source close to Dibakar informs us that the line "will be a fusion of old glamour and modern style, and will be launched in Delhi this week."