The Bollywood star challenging fashion norms

(BBC India) : Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh has established himself as one of India’s most bankable stars, delivering a series of hits in recent years. But he also regularly grabs the headlines for his unconventional sartorial sense.

While waiting for Singh to enter a suite in a plush Berlin hotel for an interview, the only thing I’m thinking about is what he will be wearing.

Singh has a reputation for his unpredictable dress sense. He never fails to surprise the press and his fans with his outfits. This meeting is no different.

As the doors open, I see him appear in a jacket that can only be described as a cross between Sulley from Pixar’s Monsters Inc. and Big Bird from Sesame Street.

“Check out my badges,” Singh says after greeting me with a bear hug. “It’s a very special Manish Arora creation. Look at the unicorn on the back.”

 

A prominent Indian fashion designer, Arora has made a name for himself for his bold silhouettes and bright colour palette. Before I have time to respond, Singh gives me more details about his custom piece.

“He [Arora] doesn’t make menswear. I hassled and chased him so much to make me a jacket.” Singh’s enthusiasm is contagious. I don’t know much about fashion but I’m listening intently to every word he’s saying.

Later that day, I’m overwhelmed again by another one of his looks. “This is Tom Ford,” he tells me on the red carpet for the world premiere of his new movie Gully Boy. He is wearing a hot pink leopard print blazer with a shiny black polo neck shirt underneath. Singh has carefully crafted this look – and he wants the compliments.

Eccentric outfits

“For the first three years after I made my film debut, I was still trying to confirm,” he told the BBC.

Singh first appeared on screen in the 2010 sleeper hit Band Baaja Baaraat. He received rave reviews for his performance as a young, passionate wedding planner. At the time, Singh looked like most other actors his age, often dressing in a conventional suit and tie for red carpet events. “I was still trying to mold myself like what I thought a rising Hindi film hero should be like; how he would speak, what he would do, how he would dress.”

He adds that he was very “confused” during his initial years in the industry. “I was becoming someone who I really wasn’t.” But today, Singh is known as one of the most outrageous personalities in Bollywood. His eccentric outfits and playful personality are like nothing Bollywood audiences have seen before. In 2012, he had a major back injury on the sets of his movie Lootera which left him homebound for two and a half months.

 

Subverting gender norms

“From there, my choices started to become more authentic. Whatever came in to my heart, I said, I did, I wore.”

By 2015, Singh was wearing skirts during movie promotions. Two years later, he turned up with kohl eye make-up to a major awards ceremony.

Singh’s wardrobe choices were a gamble. The majority of Bollywood actors before him had dressed fairly conventionally. But he is unapologetic about his attire.

Through his outfits, he has achieved something fairly unusual. He’s managed to slowly subvert or change the ideas around men’s clothes and the way they should dress – he’s opened up this space, showing men how they can get away with sporting some eyeliner or pulling off an all-pink suit.

Ground-breaking characters

In director Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period epic Padmaavat, Singh played the main antagonist, a character who was sexually ambiguous. The role was seen as a “huge risk” for any actor, but he was praised for his performance when the film released in January 2018.

View this post on Instagram

💀🔱 #khilji #padmaavat

A post shared by Ranveer Singh (@ranveersingh) on

In Singh’s latest film, Gully Boy, he plays an aspiring rapper from the slums of Mumbai, who is extremely conflicted between duty and passion, often seen breaking down into tears. It’s a display of vulnerability and softness that is fairly unusual in the way men are often portrayed in Bollywood.

Indian Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh performs during the launch of the upcoming musical drama Hindi film 'Gully Boy' in Mumbai on January 24, 2019.

He says “it’s not easy” to share so much of himself through his performances.

“It’s particularly difficult when you get brickbats for just giving. People saying ‘it’s too much, why don’t you just curb your enthusiasm?’ It hurts.”

Some critics have called his outlandish behaviour over-the-top and unnecessary. Singh ignores the criticism as long as his fans appreciate it.

“When people show that kind of love for you, I want to give that back.”

984 Comments

  81. Michigan bud laws are continually changing. Their country has an active marijuana reform
    application. Currently the Michigan health care marijuana program could be the one and only approach to legally access marijuana.
    Their country doesn’t permit individuals to cultivate their own bud,
    but this really is shifting. Currently professional medical marijuana
    is legal at Michigan as prescribed by means of a bulk of Republicans.

    Have a look at my blog :: marijauna, Celesta,

  97. Hello there! I could have sworn I’ve been to this blog before but after browsing through some of the posts I realized it’s new to me. Regardless, I’m definitely happy I came across it and I’ll be book-marking it and checking back frequently!

    https://sandbox.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&url=https3A2F2Fhttps://worldtaxi.org/2019/06/06/what-to-avoid-how-to-find-the-best-box-truck-yorba-linda-california/&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGaY_nlK9ozc51fqwjiVdMaYZL7rg

  106. Next time I read a blog, I hope that it won’t disappoint me just as much as this particular one. After all, I know it was my choice to read through, but I really believed you would probably have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of moaning about something that you could fix if you weren’t too busy seeking attention.

    https://plusone.google.com/url?q=j&rct=j&url=https3A2F2Focrv.life/rv-shower-repair-near-me&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGaY_nlK9ozc51fqwjiVdMaYZL7rg

  164. I’d like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this site. I am hoping to check out the same high-grade content by you in the future as well. In fact, your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my very own website now 😉

    &sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGaY_nlK9ozc51fqwjiVdMaYZL7rg

  213. Can I just say what a comfort to find someone that genuinely understands what they are talking about on the web. You actually understand how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people ought to read this and understand this side of the story. I can’t believe you are not more popular because you certainly possess the gift.

    http://google.fr/url?q=https://ocrvshop.com

  306. I’m impressed, I have to admit. Seldom do I come across a blog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you’ve hit the nail on the head. The problem is something not enough men and women are speaking intelligently about. I’m very happy that I stumbled across this during my hunt for something concerning this.

    https://europe.google.co.in/url?sa=j&rct=j&url=https3A2F2Fwildwestlifttrucks.com&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGaY_nlK9ozc51fqwjiVdMaYZL7rg

  343. The next time I read a blog, I hope that it does not fail me just as much as this one. I mean, Yes, it was my choice to read through, but I actually thought you would probably have something useful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of crying about something that you could fix if you weren’t too busy searching for attention.

    https://cse.google.bt/url?sa=j&rct=j&url=https3A2F2Ffleetrepairshops.com&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGaY_nlK9ozc51fqwjiVdMaYZL7rg

  362. โดจิน,doujin,dojin,โดจินแปลไทย,อ่านโดจินแปลไทย,อ่านโดจิน,โดจินออนไลน์ says:

    I value the post.Much thanks again. Great.

    https://www.doujinthai.net/

  376. Can I simply say what a relief to discover an individual who really understands what they’re talking about on the internet. You actually realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important. More and more people should read this and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you’re not more popular since you most certainly have the gift.

    https://www.emailing.peter.fr/track/s01/track.php?action=click&uid=933&lid=1&mid=381&url=https://athletik.at/index.php/component/k2/item/46-ccustomed-to-different?start=3000

  469. The very next time I read a blog, Hopefully it won’t fail me just as much as this particular one. I mean, I know it was my choice to read, but I actually thought you would have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of crying about something you could possibly fix if you were not too busy looking for attention.

    https://map.google.gg/url?q=https://th7.com.br/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=46:the-pain-you-feel-today-&limitstart=101740

  551. Can I simply just say what a comfort to discover someone who genuinely knows what they’re discussing on the net. You actually realize how to bring a problem to light and make it important. A lot more people must look at this and understand this side of the story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular given that you surely have the gift.

    http://ex.saratov.gov.ru/bitrix/rk.php?id=53&site_id=ru&event1=banner&event2=click&event3=1+2F+5B535D+5BRIGHT245D+D0A2D180D0B0D0BDD181D0BBD18FD186D0B8D18F+D0B7D0B0D181D0B5D0B4D0B0D0BDD0B8D0B9+D09FD180D0B0D0B2D0B8D182D0B5D0BBD18CD181D182D0B2D0B0+D0BED0B1D0BBD0B0D181D182D0B8&goto=http3A2F2Fwww.postfallswebsites.com

  609. Hi, I think your website could possibly be having web browser compatibility problems. When I take a look at your website in Safari, it looks fine however when opening in I.E., it has some overlapping issues. I merely wanted to give you a quick heads up! Apart from that, great site!

    http://elisautobody.com/sprinter-collision-repair/

  610. The next time I read a blog, I hope that it doesn’t fail me as much as this particular one. After all, I know it was my choice to read through, but I really thought you would have something interesting to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you can fix if you weren’t too busy looking for attention.

    https://www.orangecountysprinterrepair.com

  662. Having read this I believed it was really informative. I appreciate you taking the time and effort to put this content together. I once again find myself personally spending a lot of time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worth it!

    billygeneismarketing.com

  663. Aw, this was an extremely good post. Spending some time and actual effort to produce a really good articleÖ but what can I sayÖ I procrastinate a lot and never manage to get nearly anything done.

    https://billygeneismarketing.com/

  740. May I just say what a relief to find somebody who really understands what they are talking about online. You definitely understand how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people really need to check this out and understand this side of your story. I was surprised you aren’t more popular because you definitely have the gift.

    http://charliez36c4.digiblogbox.com/26268687/5-easy-facts-about-rv-awning-repair-companies-described

  765. Oh my goodness! Impressive article dude! Thank you so much, However I am encountering difficulties with your RSS. I donít know the reason why I can’t join it. Is there anyone else getting identical RSS problems? Anyone that knows the solution will you kindly respond? Thanx!!

    http://clevacances032.clevacances.com/stat.php?langue=fr&id_location=HLOMIP032MS00786&agrement=32MS00786&type_location=meuble&id_departement=032&acces_site=1&url=http://www.https://postfallsnutrition.com/

  770. Yurt Halısı Halıların yurtlarda seçiminde dayanıklı olması ve uzun süreler kullanıma uygun olması istenmektedir. Bu isteğin yanında renklerinin canlı olması ve uzun süre solma yapmaması da istenmektedir. Başarılı bir şekilde halıların uzun süreler kullanılması oldukça önemlidir. Yurtlarda kullanılacak halıların genel olarak evlerdeki ve iş yerlerinde farklı özelliklerdeki halıların bir karışımı olması istenmektedir. Bunların yanında maliyetlerinin de düşük olması da oldukça önemlidir.

  810. Hello there, I believe your site might be having browser compatibility problems. Whenever I take a look at your web site in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping issues. I just wanted to give you a quick heads up! Besides that, great site!

    https://encrypted.google.com/url?sa=j&rct=j&url=https3A2F2Fbio-link68764.isblog.net/conversion-van-near-me-options-29305778&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGaY_nlK9ozc51fqwjiVdMaYZL7rg

  811. Having read this I believed it was very enlightening. I appreciate you spending some time and effort to put this information together. I once again find myself spending way too much time both reading and posting comments. But so what, it was still worthwhile!

    https://www.chadwickrvdoctor.com

  848. The next time I read a blog, Hopefully it won’t fail me just as much as this particular one. I mean, Yes, it was my choice to read through, nonetheless I truly believed you would probably have something useful to talk about. All I hear is a bunch of crying about something you can fix if you were not too busy seeking attention.

    https://news.u-car.com.tw/share/platform?url=http://www.ocrv.pro

  861. Can I just say what a comfort to find an individual who genuinely understands what they are talking about online. You actually know how to bring an issue to light and make it important. A lot more people should check this out and understand this side of your story. It’s surprising you’re not more popular since you certainly have the gift.

    https://drinksmixer.com/redirect.php?url=www.globalmkg.com/

  868. The very next time I read a blog, Hopefully it doesn’t disappoint me as much as this particular one. After all, I know it was my choice to read through, nonetheless I really thought you would have something useful to say. All I hear is a bunch of whining about something that you could fix if you were not too busy searching for attention.

    http://arndt-am-abend.de/url?q=www.globalmkg.com