Who can forget Marilyn Monroe’s flying white dress in The Seven Year Itch, Audrey Hepburn’s Ascot dress in My Fair Lady, Bond Girl Ursula Andress in a white bikini or Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia in her hooded white gown in Star Wars?
Back in Bollywood, the wardrobes of Simi Garewal, Abbas-Mustan, Gulzar, Jeetendra and Rekha are synonymous with the colour. As are its ghosts and widows.
White is pure.
White is powerful.
And our movies just love to channelise its immaculate energy and enhance a visual’s impact.
But it’s most dazzling avatar is reserved for the Hindi film heroine.
Sukanya Verma gives us a fun, fashionable, lowdown.
Alia Bhatt, Gangubai Kathiawadi
In Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s smash hit, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Alia plays a brothel madam sporting a variety of white saris all through.
It’s like the film’s costume designer Sheetal Iqbal Sharma told Rediff.com, ‘White looks calm. It gives some kind of power to that person.’
And feisty Alia works every single second of it.
Sridevi, Chandni
But, of course, when you think white, Yash Chopra’s dreamy visuals of his chiffon-loving heroine come instantly to mind. Sridevi’s Chandni is an ode to the sentiment.
Madhuri Dixit, Dil To Pagal Hai
Never before has Madhuri looked this sensual and elegant as she does in all those romantic, feminine white ensembles of Dil To Pagal Hai.
Sridevi, Nagina
Sri’s shape-shifting, snake-woman enchantress is hauntingly stunning and fierce in her light-eyes and grand white lehenga dancing before Amrish Puri’s snake-charmer in one of the most popular songs of her career, Main Teri Dushman.
Vyjayanthimala, Sangam
Raj Kapoor’s fondness for dressing up his heroine in white is most ardently expressed in Sangam. An ethereal Vyjayanthimala appears in the most gorgeous white outfits in practically every frame of the love triangle.
Zeenat Aman, Mandakini, Satyam Shivam Sundaram, Ram Teri Ganga Maili
Raj Kapoor’s fetish for showcasing his sultry leading ladies in see-through saris underneath a waterfall as some kind of purity symbol though continues to prompt debates.
Kajol, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge
Aditya Chopra’s contemporised vision of his dad’s love for white (and rains) manifests into a cheerful image of a carefree Kajol.
Bipasha Basu, Jism
Bipasha’s scheming seductress may have dark things on her mind in this remake of Double Indemnity, but she picks the most scorching, spotless white numbers to lure John Abraham into submission.
Urmila Matondkar, Rangeela
Urmila running on the beach in Jackie Shroff’s white ganjee is a mood. And a ragingly hot one at that.
Rekha, Umrao Jaan
Rekha’s waxing lyrical about her ‘aankhon ki masti‘ and its many ‘mastane‘ in an ivory white brocade creation in and as Umrao Jaan is what Keats meant by a thing of beauty is a joy for ever.
Waheeda Rehman, Chaudhvin Ka Chand
Guru Dutt likens Waheeda Rehman’s incandescent beauty to the moon, fittingly attired in a creamy white sharara, in the timeless melodies of Chaudhvin Ka Chand. Though the movie is shot in black and white, the title song received the colour treatment after its release.
Meena Kumari, Pakeezah
Considering the title itself is Pakeezah, it’s no surprise Meena Kumari transforms into a vision in white for its most emotional moment addressing the filthy mind-set of society eager to mudsling on her character.
Hema Malini, Andaz
Though Hema Malini’s young widow single-handedly raising her son in Andaz sports only white, her styling and selection are distinctly glamorous. A far cry from the gloomy white imagery Bollywood perpetuates.
Karisma Kapoor, Raja Hindustani
Bollywood’s idea of virgin beauty is founded on pure white clothing. Lolo keeps that in mind, opting for a mirror work salwar kameez look, during her famous lip lock with Aamir Khan in Raja Hindustani.
Deepika Padukone, Goliyon Ki Raas Leela-Ram Leela
Deepika’s come-hither glances at Ranveer Singh in her smouldering white ghagra choli sends the mercury rising on screen and off it.
Aishwarya Rai, Taal
Two things about Taal stand out: A R Rahman’s music and Aishwarya’s classic beauty wearing head-to-toe white for the Ramta Jogi dance.
Aishwarya Rai, Mohabbatein
Aishwarya wears a lot of white in Mohabbatein during her lifetime as well as after turning into a rooting-for-romance ghost.
Pooja Bhatt, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin
How precious is Pooja nestled in a stack of hay wearing a pretty off-shouldered flowy white dress with an embroidered neckline while musing over her feelings for Aamir Khan in the lilting title song of their charming rom-com together.
Kareena Kapoor, Jab We Met
Geet Dhillon’s cool white t-shirt and patiala salwar combo set trends and reiterated the power of fashion through movies.
Sonam Kapoor, Aisha
Speaking of fashion, Sonam delivers a giddy number of designer delights in her turn as the Emma-inspired cupid player. And her fondness for white is highlighted on numerous occasions in Aisha.
Katrina Kaif, Ek Tha Tiger
Katrina flaunts her hourglass figure in all-white separates until the cries of Mashallah fill the screen and off it.
Manisha Koirala, Bombay
Manisha paints a pretty picture in a lovely white lehenga while sashaying to Kehna Hi Kya in Bombay.
Bhagyashree, Maine Pyaar Kiya
Bhagyashree’s wardrobe in Maine Pyaar Kiya had knockoffs selling off the shelves like hot cakes. Of which her white puff-sleeved kurta-churidar look in Kabootar Ja Ja became the biggest rage.
Helen, Don
Helen’s slinky, slit skirt and bustier with red rhinestones border in Don‘s chartbusting Yeh Mera Dil could thaw Amitabh Bachchan’s heart. But we still love the dancer’s effortless sexiness to bits.
Jaya Bachchan, Abhimaan
For simplicity, for strength, Jaya mostly wore white cotton saris or Banarsis in Hrishikesh Mukerji’s take on music, male ego and matrimony.
Anu Agarwal, Aashiqui
Model-turned-actress Anu is quite the statuesque beauty and Aashiqui recognises her poise abundantly as she carries off a mix of traditional and bold in her winsome white costume.
Juhi Chawla, Lootere
Juhi casually tossed her Chirpy Chawla image aside the minute she went all wet and wild in a skimpy white shirt.
Dimple Kapadia, Saagar
Dimple running in slow-motion against a background of melodious la-la-las in a frilly white dress is part of pop culture dreams.
Raveena Tandon, Mohra
Raveena’s sequinned white, funky qawaali outfit in Tu Cheez Badi Hai Mast Mast is no less iconic than her yellow chiffon sari in Tip Tip Barsa Pani.
Sonam, Tridev
Rajiv Rai takes inspiration from the colours in the US flag for Madhuri Dixit, Sangeeta Bijlani and Sonam’s costumes in the pre-climax song and dance, Gajar Na Kiya Hai Ishara.
While Mads and Bijli do their magic on blue and red, Sonam rocks her slim ‘n’ trim figure in glittery white.
Tanuja, Jewel Thief
Tanuja’s impish charm and sexy white slit dress hits all the right notes as she flirts with and cavorts around suave Dev Anand in Raat Akeli Hai.
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