Bangs, tousled hair, buns, locks, long lushes, there’s simply no dearth of hairstyles today. In fact, Indian women, irrespective of their age, are donning different hairstyles on different occasions these days. Until a couple of decades ago, fashionable and funky hairstyles were meant only for the Bollywood actresses and high society women in India. However, things have changed drastically now, as women and young girls in the country are turning to hairstyles that are cool, classy, stylish and glamorous in every sense.
Join TravelRasoi as we travel back into time to re-discover some of the popular and snazzy hairstyles that were trendy then. We’ll also take a look at some of the modern day hairstyles that are increasingly being embraced by women of today. Read on to find out more.
Hairstyles of the 40s
Bollywood has always been at the forefront of setting fresh and exciting trends, both in terms of fashion and hair. Leading actresses such as Nargis and Begum Para wore wavy curls along with a bob in the 40s, which instantly became popular among the ladies of that generation.
The 50s Look
50s saw women embracing the natural yet elegant hairstyle and looks of Madhubala and Geeta Bali as well as other actresses of their era. With her side curly braid, Madhubala managed to sweep many hearts away. In fact, the naturally wavy, side braid went on to become one of the most iconic hairstyles in the Bollywood during the 50s.
The famous ‘Sadhana Cut’ of the 60s
How can we ever forget the spectacular Sadhana cut of the 60s? The Audrey Hepburn inspired fringes, actress Sadhana trimmed her hair, resulting in an immensely popular hairstyle-“The Sadhana Cut’. In fact, 60s also witnessed the emergence of other popular styles such as the beehive and the bob shaped bouffant. From Saira Banu to Sharmila Tagore and even Waheeda Rehman, almost every actress donned the bulky yet amazing bouffant.
The colourful 70s
The colourful 70s saw Bollywood actresses turning to wigs and retro hairstyles as well as overgrown hair. Divas including Parveen Babi, Zeenat Aman, Rekha, Neetu Singh and even Hema Malini kept their long hair lose or resorted to braids and fashionable accessories such as hats to create their own style statements. Big sized curls also became a norm for many actresses of that era.
Styling in the 80s
The women of this era were totally in love with big hair, voluminous curls, frizzy hairstyles and even perms. The neat pigtails of Rekha and Neetu Singh also became quite popular then.
The Fashionable 90s
Bollywood actresses became much fashionable in the 90s and donned the side swept steps, curled and blow dried hairstyles for a truly distinct appearance. Actresses including Madhuri Dixit, Raveena Tandon, Karishma Kapoor and Juhi Chawla, sported iconic hairstyles such as cute fringes, frizzy perms as well as back combed hair with much elegance.
2000 and Now
With the passage of time, actresses such as Rani Mukherjee, Kajol, Preeti Zinta and others have been experimenting with all sorts of hairstyles such as the straight hair look, blunt and feathered cuts, wispy or layered hairstyles. In fact, some have even gone to the extent of chopping of their hair to don the short blunt cut or bob hairstyles. Colours are also being experimented with and the women folk today are trying all sorts of shades as well as colours such as red, blonde and even brown. Some of the other styles that have caught the fancy of actresses as well as the common women in India include, elegant twisted buns, French braids, Ringlet Bun with Gajras, Bumped Up Curls, Diffused Curls with a headband, Fish Tail braids, Side braids, Messy Buns and many more.
-Puja Bhardwaj
