Hooray for Bollywood, Liverpool puts on a starry sari night

By Julie Power
Updated September 19 2014 - 6:18pm, first published 1:36am
Shaleen Kumar tries on saris at Dulhan Exclusives in Liverpool, Sydney. Photo: Janie Barrett
Shaleen Kumar tries on saris at Dulhan Exclusives in Liverpool, Sydney. Photo: Janie Barrett
Shaleen Kumar assisted by Tamanna Bajaj tries on saris at Dulhan Exclusives in Liverpool, Sydney. Photo: Janie Barrett
Shaleen Kumar assisted by Tamanna Bajaj tries on saris at Dulhan Exclusives in Liverpool, Sydney. Photo: Janie Barrett
Shaleen Kumar tries on saris at Dulhan Exclusives in Liverpool, Sydney. Photo: Janie Barrett
Shaleen Kumar tries on saris at Dulhan Exclusives in Liverpool, Sydney. Photo: Janie Barrett
Shaleen Kumar tries on saris at Dulhan Exclusives in Liverpool, Sydney. Photo: Janie Barrett
Shaleen Kumar tries on saris at Dulhan Exclusives in Liverpool, Sydney. Photo: Janie Barrett
Shaleen Kumar tries on saris at Dulhan Exclusives in Liverpool, Sydney. Photo: Janie Barrett
Shaleen Kumar tries on saris at Dulhan Exclusives in Liverpool, Sydney. Photo: Janie Barrett

Hooray for Bollywood: That screwy ballyhooey Bollywood of crazy romances, twists and turns, and gowns studded with gems. 

As the Indian population has flocked to the Liverpool region, its main drag, George Street, has transformed its once dreary palette into a bling-studded home of Indian fashion.

In the past 10 years, the number of shops  selling traditional silk saris and bright coloured Anarkali  suits has risen from three to an estimated 33, with a near doubling of shops from 18 in 2012.

This Sunday afternoon, Bollywood's influence will be celebrated at the second annual Starry Sari night, a parade of Indian fashions and curry competitions culminating in an open-air screening of Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani

Between 2006 and 2011, Liverpool's Hindi speaking population rose 4.5 per cent  while the number of people of Indian ancestry rose 5.8 per cent.

While locals say the best Indian food is still to be found in Harris Park, Liverpool has become a mecca for anyone looking for Indian fashion. When Vraj Lal, the owner of Roop Darshan, first opened on George Street there were only three sari shops.

But the changing population - and the influence of soap operas and Bollywood -   has been good for business. "It's a sensitive market,"  Mr Lal said.  He said the market was heavily influenced by soap operas such as the popular Indian historical drama Jodha Akbar, which his wife loved, about a political marriage of convenience between a Mughal emperor and a Rajput princess.

Across the road at Dulhan Exclusives, manager Minaz Nisha agreed that fashions were influenced by the latest Bollywood release. "TV series on Indian channels create a lot of fashion, and when a Bollywood film comes in fashion, everyone gets crazy for that, " she said.

In the same way that hems rise and falls in the west, so do the lengths of Indian party dresses and gowns like the bright-coloured Anarkali that 24-year-old Shaleen Kumar was trying on at  Dulhan Exclusives, where she works part-time. Ms Kumar of Hinchinbrook admitted the floor-length gown with balls of silver that jangled and crystals that sparkled was much hotter than the jeans and T-shirt she usually wears to the University of  Western Sydney. 

While Ms Kumar's mother, who is of Fijian Indian descent, doesn't like wearing traditional Indian clothes anymore, the student said she had four or five glittering Anarkalis that she wears at parties and weddings. 

Sandeep Dhillon, the owner of two Indian fashion shops, said last year's parade had been great for business. "The day is really effective for the shop," he said, as some of the 4000 onlookers crowded before and after the parade to buy clothes or accessories. 

Info: Starry Sari night details

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