In pictures: 9 times Salman Khan was the ultimate fashion icon

His commitment to being a style treasure trove is unmatched

KARACHI:

There are usually two primary schools of thought that one learns of when embarking upon the journey of getting to know about fashion. One school of thought believes that fashion is inherently out-of-touch, outside-the-box, and, perhaps, even elitist. Another school of thought believes in a more accessible form of fashion; one that is subjective, and, like art, is dependent on its creator's vision and the consequent interpretation by its audience.

While a bold claim, both these schools of thought would be slightly amiss. Fashion is Salman Khan. Now, some may negate this and say, “Fashion has been around longer than Salman has existed.” To them, one can retort, “Has it really? Or did Salman, the underplayed icon of the fashion world, set things in motion that have been key elements within the world of masculine style in South Asia?”

One does not have to travel far back in time to illustrate this point. Do you, as a person of any gender, appreciate the occasional shirtless Varun Dhawan or John Abraham? Sure, both these men are more than their physical prowess, but they tend to be shirtless quite often, and one barely hears people complaining about the same. But who was the granddaddy of shirtlessness? Who changed the game by donning nothing but a disconnected electric guitar and a pair of blue ripped jeans (which, by the way, GenZ is all for currently) whilst crooning a love song? It wasn’t Chris Evans. It wasn’t any other white man people find appealing (I mean, it could’ve been, but I assume his guitar would’ve worked). It was none other than Salman - the bhai of Bollywood - a trendsetter, like no other.

The annals of Bollywood will forever be marked by Salman riding in on a bike with the sun as his backdrop, flexing his muscles, grooving to the beat of a song wherein he is in search of his lover, setting a precedent that would be followed by him, and imitated by others, for years to come. If anything, O Oh Jaane Jaana laid the foundation for a fashion philosophy that highlighted how a high-fashion moment doesn’t need extra oomph. It needs pizzazz, and that’s just something money can’t buy. One either has it, or one doesn't. And Salman? Well, the star practically oozes pizzazz.

However, Salman is a charitable and generous icon. He leaves no man behind. Perhaps, that is why the megastar chose to twin with the equally legendary Aamir Khan, whilst shooting Andaz Apna Apna. Numerous promotional shoots for the film depict Salman and Aamir in similar attire, lovingly nestled against each other to showcase the immense strength of their bromance. Could one say that the duo solidified the very existence of multi-cast bromances? No, that would be a stretch. But they did a pretty solid job.

One may notice, whilst stumbling upon images from the film, that the duo’s cult classic showcased a ‘tapori’ form of attire. That may just be the Bollywood way of saying ‘rowdy,’ or ‘street,’ but the casual, laid-back attire is a masterclass in a unique, devil-may-care form of dressing, giving the term ‘street wear’ a whole new spin.

Let us now venture forth to the song Chunari Chunari, where, for an unexplainably genius reason, it is our bhai who is seen carrying the titular piece of cloth. One notices that Sushmita Sen is fully dressed in black, accented by silver, and is, in fact, in no need of a chunari. Salman is dressed similarly (that silver coat is truly having a moment of its own in the song) but carries a red chunari because not only is he the main character, but he is also the bearer of a pop of colour needed in the frame.

Speaking (well, writing) about the colour red, let us not forget the time when Salman spent almost the entirety of a narrative in a now-iconic red jumpsuit. The ensemble may have been his uniform in Hello Brother, but our hero wore the absolute hell out of that get-up, forever cementing the look in the minds of his fans and followers. Why the same is not a recurring Halloween costume as a much-needed homage to the star is beyond the scope of human understanding.

One would mistakenly imagine that fashion is simply about clothes. It is not, and if there is any celebrity who stands as a testament to the same, it is Sallu bhai. The man, the myth, the legend started a wildfire of a trend with his look in Tere Naam, wherein his slicked hair, parted in the middle to create a one-of-a-kind fringe pattern sent shockwaves through the male part of society. Every man was seen rushing to his respective barber to mimic the look. At that point in time, the subcontinent seemed to be inhabited by men who had haircuts similar to Ace’s from the Gangreen Gang in Powerpuff Girls. That example is used because no comparative measure with Salman can be drawn. There is just one Radhe, and so he shall remain, always.

When it comes to iconic moves, let us not brush over a style statement that is a staple in Sallu bhai’s world - his famed bracelet. Superheroes have catchphrases and Pokemon characters have key attacks. Salman, however, has his bracelet that often features in film shots, doubling as an announcement for the star’s arrival on the silver screen. Legend has it that the bracelet has its own fan following, and honestly, rightfully so.

A lot of people may not be aware, but Salman has dabbled in costume wear as well. No, this is not a reference to bhai opting for what can only be assumed is drag in Jaan-E-Mann. While iconic in and of itself and now a wildly popular meme, the outfit leaves much to be desired from a stylistic point of view. Even so, the star wears the white dress with pearls like an absolute diva, and the world owes a debt of gratitude to Salman for bestowing cinema itself with that particular scene.

However, this is in reference to Salman as Devi Lal "Devil" Singh, a man so obsessed with getting a kick out of life that he pretended to have amnesia and chose antics over love (a loose summary of the plot, you have to watch the film to truly grasp the nuances).

In the song, Yaar Na Miley, one presumes that a dancing Nargis Fakhri would arrest viewers with her performance. However, one’s eyes cannot help but glance at a still Salman in the background, fully draped in a black, hooded cape. Some shots depict the star as having pale skin, making him look a tad bit like a vampire. For some, this poses a conundrum: is he the Devil, or is he a vampire? The answer? It doesn’t matter. Salman is fluid; flowing like water into whatever vessel exists. Forget HIM from Powerpuff Girls (there are far too many Powerpuff Girls references for a piece on Salman, but it is what it is), forget Edward Cullen. Salman gives you the best of both worlds in this song, and for that, we must show gratitude.

To sum up, would one be mistaken, should they call Salman a fashion icon? Absolutely not. The stirrer of pots, the setter of trends, and the man who puts the “boss” in Bigg Boss has always been ahead of the curve, and it’s high time he was given due credit for the same.

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