Dilip Kumar's best looks: From Devdas to Andaz, the actor was as much style as substance

Veteran actor Dilip Kumar , known also as the Tragedy King , can well be counted among the first superstars of Bollywood. With over 100 films to his name in a career that spanned six decades, the actor belonged to the golden age of Bollywood producing some of the best cinema of all time.

Kumar  was a true trendsetter, an actor whose signature looks on celluloid quickly made him a fashion icon with an enduring style that continues to inspire. Here is a look at some of his best looks on celluloid:

Devdas

One of Kumar’s most iconic looks was in Devdas, Bimal Roy’s 1955 adaptation of the novel by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay. The scarf wrapped around his neck, shone even through the monochrome of the film in Kumar’s portrayal of the eponymous hero drowning in alcoholism. This style became a major trend of the time and has since been adopted for the screen by multiple actors through the decades.

Naya Daur

This scarf also makes an appearance in other films like Naya Daur in which the actor flaunts a silk kerchief almost wrapped like a cravat around his neck. So too the kurta, accompanied by a sleeveless jacket and that iconic locket, all of which contributed to creating a symbolic tapestry of the newly independent Nehruvian India.

Mughal-e-Azam

The long sherwani in his 1960 film Mughal-e-Azam became one of the most well-known period styles in Hindi cinema. Kumar’s signature look as Mughal royalty earned the actor as much fame as his portrayal of Prince Salim, a look complete with heavy jewels, big pearls and richly layered kurtas.

Sagina

In Sagina too, the actor boasted of the long kurtas and scarves which would later on become a huge trend in the 1990s. The checked kurta that Kumar flaunted in his films along with the cummerbund that brought about a fusion of traditional Indian attire with the west were huge style statements of the early decades of post Independence cinema.

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Ganga Jumna

The full-sleeved kurta and pajamas also appear in Ganga Jumna often accompanied with a locket on the neck. This, coupled with the occasional cummerbund and his half mustache were extremely popular in the 1960s.

Andaz

With his earlier films like Andaz and even Ram aur Shyam the actor brought into vogue the more anglicised look of sweater and top and his famed white blazer and striped tie became one of the most popular looks of his time.

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