Rocking with the ripped look

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Ripped jeans, metal chains, steel bracelets, printed tees, bandanas, accessorised waistcoats and the ‘I don’t care’ attitude is the perfect recipe for the rockstar look. And most actors seem to be flaunting it with style and élan.

Katrina Kaif’s hip avatar in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan, Rajeev Khandelwal’s tattoo-flaunting DJ portrayal in Soundtrack and yet-to-be-seen on the big screen Ranbir Kapoor’s rugged Rockstar image — all the three makeovers seem to have redefined the meaning of the ‘rockstar’ look. “I like the assorted look that has been created for such roles. I particularly loved Katrina in Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. She was stereotyped as the pretty woman and girl-next-door. But in this, her attitude — the way she smokes a beedi, has messed-up hair, wears smudged kohl under her eyes and cowboy shoes all adds up to a cool factor,” says former Miss India, Pooja Chopra.
Not just Kat, even the Kapoor lad seems to have gathered a fairly large fan following. Online communities, tweets and the Rockstar page on FB have updates by young girls and boys gushing about his new-style phenomena. “Ranbir looks pretty cool and chilled out. What I really like about his look are the checked shirts and scarves. Ripped jeans are not my thing, but he definitely carries it off really well,” says actress Samyuktha.
A change is always welcome, is what most agree. In an age of romantic and action films, where the actors’ onscreen look is defined by real-life characters, the rockstar look is creating ripples across the industry. “It is good to see the change. And the look of the stars needs to be exaggerated — like the long hair and accessories. It is Bollywood and the audience likes to see a larger-than-life persona. Particularly, the onstage look of a musician. If it is too realistic like the contemporary artists, then people might not like it,” says Ricky Kej, music director.