The typical traditional attires like dhoti, kurtas and pyjamas hold no appeal to the GenZ simply because of the fact that they don't make them look cool. Hence the newer generation is increasingly moving away from ethnic wear options that they find cumbersome to settle for more relaxed Western outfits or at best a fusion of denim and kurtas. "According to the newer generations, traditional outfits make one look very nice, polite and decent but not smart or cool. Hence I thought of channelling a different look with ethnic wear and used supercars in the background of the photo shoot. There can't be anything cooler than a Bangali babu getting out of the supercar wearing a dhoti and kurta," tells the dapper actor Shaheb Bhattacherjee, who is among the handful of well-dressed men in Tollywood.
The actor wore outfits from festive collections of homegrown couturiers Akashlina Banerjee, Rohan and designer duo Debjit Paul and Soumyajeet Chakraborty.
We spoke with the very fashionable Shaheb about his festive sartorial choices, fashion idols and upcoming projects.
Excerpts from the chat:
Tell us about your festive fashion choices?
I only go for dhoti kurta or pyjama looks during the four days of festivities and try to keep the ensembles very relaxed in approach. Also, I love wearing dhoti pants or a patiala during festivities because that adds a zing to our ensemble and complements our body structures. Many homegrown designers like Pranay Baidya, Debarun and Sayantan Sarkar are making such lovely Indian outfits that you actually want to wear them on a regular basis. I wear a lot of their work to a lot of social events.
What are your fashion choices?
My sense of style and fashion and grown and evolved with age. During my college years, I had a very colourful and vibrant wardrobe that also kind of reflected my state of mind back then. I had all sorts of colours in my wardrobe, be it red pants, blue tees, green and yellow jackets or yellow shoes. But progressively, with time, my wardrobe has changed drastically and matured with age and is now dominated by muted shades of brown white, beige and various shades of blues with the colours being limited to gymwear. I like basic yet classy fashion since I feel less is more. I also don't like to go overboard with accessories and stick to basics like a bracelet, watches and shades.
Are you an experimental dresser?
Not at all, in fact, quite the opposite. I am so averse to experiments that I don't try any new trends for the sake of it. I always go by what looks good on me than aping what's raging. Currently, though the baggy oversized look is trending, I haven't even tried that once on myself. I can't go crazy with my outfits. I want to stick to the classics.
Your wardrobe essentials?
The five basic colours namely white, black, beige, light pink and light blue are always there in terms of shirts, tee shirts, and round neck tees in my wardrobe. Also, black denim, light blue denim and black pant are absolute essentials for me.
Who is the best-dressed man in your eyes?
I feel Hrithik Roshan is very well-dressed and he chooses his attire according to his body structure and personality and that suits him a lot. Someone's clothing sense I completely cannot understand is Ranveer Singh's. I cannot make sense of what he wears.
Your fitness regimen?
My fitness regimen is mostly goal-oriented and depends upon the roles I am reprising in films or series. At times I need to bulk up and at other times I need to look like an ordinary person without any muscles. Hence the fitness programmes also alter with the requirement. But something that is constant throughout the year is movement, I focus a lot on movements and hence do a lot of functional training. Since I am very active in theatre I need to be agile and flexible and run faster and jump higher and be mobile on stage. Mobility and functional training help me achieve that to a great extent. Along with that I also run to keep fit.
Your upcoming projects?
I will start shooting for a film in October end and I just finished shooting for Raja Chanda's Chandrabindoo which also has Ankush and Oindrila. Then there's Atanu Ghosh's Aro Ek Prithibi and I am so glad to have finally worked with him. There's also Shet Kali for ZEE 5. I am also doing a play for my own theatre group Behala Batayan called Jodi Ekbar which also has Devlina Kumar and Indrashish. There's also Kharaj Mukherjee's play Dojon Dujon -- an accumulation of 12 short plays besides another new play. It's great to see how young actors are making a transition to the theatre from television and films because this is where you actually get to practise your craft on a daily basis.
Akahslina Banerjee, designer
Akashlina's label Boho Trunk's festive collection Tasher Desh is all about hand-embroidered characters from cards on pure khadi-cotton kurtas that can be paired with hand-painted cotton dhoti or their unique boho pants. "Panjabi or Kurtas are our traditions and they can create magic if paired up with a red and white dhoti and a pair of red shoes or sneakers. That turns the entire look into something very cool and boho," says Akashlina.
Rohan, designer and celebrity stylist
This year men's festive fashion will be a little different from the previous couple of years. It will be more colourful and youthful with a lot of mirrorwork, which is trending big time. Colours like lime green, aqua blue and peaches will be rocking the scene. Pyjamas, dhotis and trousers with elastic drawstrings that are easier to wear and easy to handle will be in. Western wear will witness a lot of layering and oversized clothes like a check shirt and grey tee with denim or a basic pyjama fit trouser with a jacket and a vest inside make for cool, easy and comfortable looks. Given the humidity and sultry weather, the fabric needs to be skin-friendly and hence we have used a lot of cotton and linen that are breathable and easy to style. Mix and match the traditional looks with flip-flops and sneakers to stand out in the crowd.
Debjit Paul and Soumyajeet Chakraborty, designers
Designer duo Debjit and Soumyajeet's label Debshila has come up with a stunning men's festive edit in red and white called Babumoshai that has a modern twist. "We have used handloom cotton, cotton chanderi and raw silk for kurtas and dhonekhali tant and south Indian cotton for dhotis. There are kurtas with side and middle buttons and a few with knots. There are exquisite kantha and hand embroidery work and ari work with thread and zari," tells Debjit.
The designers feel that besides dhoti n panjabi, ankle-length cigarette pants with kurtas and chikankari kurtas will rage among the millennials. Also, they feel casual shirts with floral prints in vibrant colours are a great choice.
CREDIT
Pictures: Sur o Sree and Kaushik Brahma / Makeup: Shaswata Debnath / Hair: Indu Ghosh / Styling: Rohan / Location courtesy: JW Marriott Kolkata