Sonam Says ‘Aisha’ Was First To Make Fashion Central In A Bollywood Film

MUMBAI -It’s been 15 years since the release of the film ‘Aisha’ in Hindi cinema. Actress and fashionista Sonam Kapoor shared that during the making of the film, she and her sister Rhea Kapoor knew they wanted to experiment with fashion and make it both cool and accessible to people.

‘Aisha’ marked Rhea Kapoor’s debut as a producer and starred Sonam Kapoor, Amrita Puri, and Ira Dubey, with Rajshree Ojha in the director’s seat.

The actress said: ‘While making ‘Aisha’, we never set out with the intent to make any cultural impact. We were two girls wanting to make a film that we wanted to see as an audience and something that Bollywood wasn’t making for us to enjoy.’

The actress added: ‘People felt that and made us recognise this when they saw the film as they found it was a generation-defining film for youngsters then.’

‘During the making of the film, we always knew that we wanted it to play with fashion and make it cool yet accessible to people.’

Sonam revealed that she and Rhea loved it and ‘we knew everyone was into it but there was never a film that was so front-footed about making a chick flick that focussed on fashion.’

‘We were unaware what ‘Aisha’ would do in cinema and how it would impact pop culture and the psyche of the youth of the country and also South Asians worldwide.’

Talking about how ‘Aisha’ started conversations about fashion in Bollywood, Sonam said: ‘For the first time in Bollywood, fashion wasn’t just a background element but it was in front and centre and sparked mainstream conversations about style and self-expression through what we wear – something I have always stood for.’

Sonam said: ‘That’s why I think till date, ‘Aisha’ holds a very special place in my heart and in the hearts of every girl from my generation because her character is so relatable and stands for every young woman discovering who she is, unapologetically.’

‘She’s definitely stylish and smart but also vulnerable and imperfect and craving for love, just like all of us at some point. And that’s what perhaps made her timeless and live on in pop culture, wardrobes and hearts even fifteen years later and that is the greatest gift for all of us today!’

The film is set in the upper-class society of Delhi and is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s 1815 novel ‘Emma’ with the same tone as the American film ‘Clueless’, which is also an adaptation of Austen’s novel. (IANS)