Women in Ghagra Choli ca 1872.

Gagra choli or Ghagra choli, which is also known as Lehenga choli, is the traditional clothing of women in Rajasthan^[1][2] and Gujarat.^[3] Chaniya choli is another term commonly used to refer it.^[4] It is a combination outfit of a Lehenga, tight Choli and a Dupatta.

Choli[link]

A choli (Hindi: चोली), (ravike in South India Telugu: రవికె, Kannada: ರವಿಕೆ) is a midriff-baring blouse shell garment in the Indian sari costume worn in India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and other countries where the sari is worn.It is also part of the ghagra choli costume of India.The choli is cut to fit tightly to the body and has short sleeves and a low neck. The choli is usually cropped, allowing exposure of the navel; the cropped design is particularly well-suited for wear in the hot South Asian summers. Cut-out backs and front-opening buttons are some of the features of contemporary designs.^[5]

Lehenga[link]

Illustration of different regional variations of Ghagra choli worn by women in South Asia.

Lehenga or Ghagra^[6] is a form of skirt which is long, embroidered and pleated. It is worn as the bottom portion of a Gagra choli. It is secured at the waist and leaves the lower back and midriff bare.^[7] It was introduced by the Mughals.^[8]

Fabrics[link]

The lehengas are made of a number of fabrics such as Silk, Cotton, Khadi,^[9] Georgette, Crape, Net, Satin, Brocade and Chiffon.^[10] Even though designers have successfully used the various kinds of fabrics for making the lehenga, silk is still the most preferred fabric.

Decorative Stitching[link]

Apart from the fabric, decorative stitching patterns also play a role. Lehengas come with a wide variety of decoration work like zari, zardozi, embroidery, diamante work, beads embroidery work, kundan work, mirror work, etc.^[11] For festivals like Navratri, the ethnic mirror-work embroidery is popular with a bit of patchwork. For formal wear and weddings, the embroidery is heavier in pearls, silk, sequins and zari.^[9]

Kutch embroidery is an evolving expression of the craft and textile traditions of the Rabaris, a nomadic tribe in Gujarat.Kutch work is unique in the sense that a net is woven on a cloth using thread.The net is then filled in using the same thread by intricate interlocking stitches. The patterns are usually built around geometric shapes.This embroidery follows its own traditional design logic and juxtaposition of colours and motifs.^[12] The Rohanas tribals of Kutch specialise in skirt work. The Sodhas use a geometric style for their embroidery. The Garacia Jats are experts in tiny embroidery on the yoke, which intermingles with red, orange, blue and green threads. The Dhanetah Jats love embroidering broad pear-shaped mirrors using orange, black, yellow and red in chain stitch.^[9]

Styles of Ghagra choli[link]

The ghagra cholis can be worn in different styles. Traditionally all lehengas used to have an more full cut but with changing trends in bridal fashion, now a days you get an array of options. Today lehengas are available in various cuts and styles to suit every body type.^[13][14] Following are some of the basic styles;

Picture	Style	Description
	A-line Lehenga	A-line lehengas are typical. They flow down in A-shape and are ideal for pear shaped brides.[15] It is suitable for women with broad hips.[16]
	Circular Lehenga	Circular lehenga, as the name suggests, is circular in shape.[15] This style has a large circumference along with lots of pleats near the waist. This adds volume looks very classy. This style will best suit thin brides. Flowy fabric with a good fall can be used to stitch this type of lehenga.[13] This style is the pick of those who yearn for exclusivity and elegance.[15]
	Fishtail/Mermaid Lehenga	Fishtail Lehenga sticks to your body from the waistline and flares down at the bottom, apt for the curvaceous and an hourglass frame. This sort is flawless for those who love to go glam. It is somewhat similar to the Hobble skirt of the Western Fashion.[15]
	Panelled Lehenga	Panelled lehenga, the best lehenga, offers the right amount of flare and a perfect fall.[15]This comprises of a number of panels sewn together. The panels can either be of the same fabric or colour or a combination of fabrics with contrasting colours.[13]
	Straight Cut Lehenga	Straight cut lehenga is the customary style of Bridal Lehenga. It flows down in a parallel manner and fits every shape and body type. With straight cut and tapered Lehenga, it is advisable to have soft fabrics rather than stiffer fabrics.[15] It creates an illusionary slimming effect.[13]

A Rajput bride wearing a pink lehenga.

Festive Attire[link]

The lehenga choli is the favourite female apparel worn during festivals, weddings or special events in India. This is due to traditions as well as of the fact that it is available in a number of fabrics with many different decorative choices.^[17] Traditionally the sari and the lehenga choli are the most popular garments for the bride in India.^[18] But it is a common bridal attire mostly in North India.^[19]

Femina Miss India 2011 Contestants in low-rise ghagra cholis.

Modern Fashion[link]

Due to modern fashion trends, lehenga cholis have now become a fashion statement. The cholis has become shorter and is sometimes substituted with Western crop top, halter neck or baby doll tops.^[20][21] Most designers juxtapose the old styles of draping and cut with daring flashes of their own creativity to create the modern day ghagra choli. This exotic dress is also very popular in places like Sydney, Toronto and Johannesburg.^[9] Along with saris, low-rise navel revealing ghaghra cholis have emerged. Designer Manish Malhotra's Fashion Week collections regularly highlight low waisted ghaghras accompanied by short cholis. Such ghagra cholis are more commonly worn by the Bollywood celebrities.For example, Actress Priyanka Chopra was featured in a low rise ghagra choli designed by designer Ritu Kumar on the opening show of the HDIL India Couture Week 2008 held in Mumbai.^[22][23][24] At the Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2011, she was featured in a low rise ghagra choli designed by Neeta Lulla.^[25] Recently in the Pantaloons Femina Miss India 2011 event,all the finalists walked the ramp in modern white low-rise ghagra cholis.^[26]

Celebrities in Ghagra Cholis[link]

Film actresses[link]

• 

  Anjana Sukhani at Lakme Fashion Week.

• 

  Shriya Saran at Aamby Valley City India Bridal Week 2010.

• 

  Sameera Reddy at the Lakme Fashion Week 2009.

• 

  Soha Ali Khan at Beti Gitanjali's show at IIJW 2011.

• 

  Raima Sen at Geetanjali Luxury Style Festival 2007.

• 

  Amisha Patel walks for Rocky S at Aamby Valley City India Bridal Week 2011.

• 

  Yuvika Chaudhary in Sabbah Khan Show at Lakme Fashion Week 2011.

• 

  Geeta Basra on day 1 of Lakme Fashion Week 2011.

• 

  Raageshwari at The Indian princess Finale at Chitrakoot, Andheri, Mumbai.

• 

  Mugdha Godse at HDIL Invitation cup awards 2011 night at Race Course.

• 

  Bruna Abdullah at Anmol jewellers 25th anniversary bash at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai.

• 

  Parvathy Omanakuttan at SNDT Chrysalis 2012 fashion show

• 

  Angela Jonsson at Anmol jewellers 25th anniversary bash at Grand Hyatt, Mumbai

• 

  Sofia Hayat at Lakme fashion Week 2011 Day 4.

Television actresses[link]

• 

  Hindi television actress Ragini Khanna at Star Parivaar Awards Promo Shoot in Mumbai.

• 

  Deepshikha at Manish Malhotra - Lilavati Save & Empower Girl Child show.

• 

  Television actress Hina Khan at Star Parivaar Awards promo shoot.

• 

  Pooja Gaur at Star Parivaar Awards promo shoot.

Item Numbers[link]

Item numbers have found its place in Bollywood from the early 1950s.It required revealing clothes for the dancing female to look attractive.But the ghagra choli being worn for an item number became popular due to Madhuri Dixit's performance in the film Khalnayak(1993) for the controversial song "Choli Ke Peeche Kya Hai" in a red ghagra choli.^[27][28] After which many number of Bollywood item numbers had featured the female dancer in a ghagra choli outfit.^[29] Of which the most famous are the ones performed by actress Malaika Arora Khan. She featured in revealing ghagra cholis for the hit songs "Chaiyya Chaiyya" in Dil Se.. (1998)^[30] and "Munni Badnaam Hui" in Dabangg (2010).^[31] Even today most of Bollywood's item numbers feature revealing ghagra cholis.^[32][33]

See also[link]

• Lehenga Style Saree

References[link]

This article uses bare URLs for citations. Please consider adding full citations so that the article remains verifiable. Several templates and the Reflinks tool are available to assist in formatting. (Reflinks documentation) (April 2012)

External links[link]

• Information on Ghagra choli

Yami Gautam
Yami Gautam at the premiere of film Vicky Donor
Born	(1987-11-24) November 24, 1987 (age 24) Chandigarh , India
Occupation	Television actress, Film actress
Years active	2008 – present

Yami Gautam is an Indian film and television actress. Her 2012 film Vicky Donor is her first film in Bollywood. Her earlier appearances are on Indian television serials like Yeh Pyar Na Hoga Kam and Chand Ke Paar Chalo. Her claim to fame role was in Vicky Donor.

Biography[link]

Yami's father Mukesh Gautam is a coordinator in Zee News channel.^[1] Yami initially wanted to become an IAS officer as she was a very good student.^[2] Hailing from Himachal Pradesh,^[3] she made her debut on Television with Chand Ke Paar Chalo but her claim to fame was Yeh Pyar Na Hoga Kam^[4] aired on Colors.^[5] She was last seen as a Television actress in Yeh Pyar Na Hoga Kam after which she moved on to feature films.
She essayed the lead role in the Kannada film Ullasa Utsaha.^[6] Then she also participated in the reality show Meethi Choori No.1 on NDTV Imagine. She has done various television advertisements, with the notable amongst those being 'Fair and Lovely' by Hindustan Unilever Limited and Samsung Galaxy Y DUOS.

In 2011, she made her debut in Telugu cinema, enacting a lead role in Ravi Babu's Nuvvila, following which she acted in another film Ek Noor playing the older version of Rabiha.

She has made her Bollywood debut with Vicky Donor where she's cast opposite Ayushmann Khurrana.^[7] She plays the role of a Bengali girl who falls in love with a Punjabi boy. Though the movie revolves around actor, her efforts have been praised for her excellent work. The movie was a success and it received positive reviews. ^[8]

Television and filmography[link]

Television[link]

^[9][10]

Films[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Yami Gautam at the Internet Movie Database
• : Yami Gautam Is the Sexiest Future Superstar of Bollywood

This article about an Indian actor or actress is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Deepika Padukone
Deepika Padukone promotes 'Cocktail' on DLF IPL's Extraaa Innings.
Born	(1986-01-05) 5 January 1986 (age 26) Copenhagen, Denmark
Occupation	Actress, Model
Years active	2006–present

Deepika Padukone (born 5 January 1986) is an Indian actress and a former model. She appears mostly in Hindi as well as Tamil and Kannada language films. Born to badminton player Prakash Padukone, she chose to become an actress and not pursue a career in sports.^[1]

Padukone made her acting debut in the 2006 Kannada film Aishwarya.^[2] The following year, she made her Hindi film debut in Om Shanti Om, for which she earned the Filmfare Best Female Debut Award. It also remains her biggest commercial success so far. She subsequently appeared in films such as Love Aaj Kal (2009) and Housefull (2010). While the former earned her a Filmfare nomination in the Best Actress category, the latter emerged as a commercial success.^[3]

In addition to acting, Padukone is also the ambassador of prominent brands such as Tissot, Sony Cybershot, Nescafe and Kingfisher Airlines.^[4]

Early life and background[link]

Padukone was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. Her father, Prakash Padukone, is a former badminton player of international repute, and her mother is a travel agent. Her father was then training in Denmark in the sport and when she was eleven months old, her family moved to Bangalore, Karnataka, India.^[5] Padukone also has a younger sister, Anisha, born on 2 February 1991.^[6]

Padukone attended Sophia High School in Bangalore, and completed her pre-university studies at Mount Carmel College Bangalore.^[7] While in high school she played badminton at the state level.^[8] However, she was not keen on pursuing a career as a badminton player.^[9] During the time of her film debut she was enrolled with the Indira Gandhi National Open University in Bachelors of Arts (Sociology).^[10][11]

Career[link]

Early Modelling Career, until 2006[link]

While in college, Padukone pursued a career in modeling.^[12] She was spotted in a ramp competition in NLS, Bangalore.^{[citation needed]} Over the years, she has modeled for such Indian brand names as Liril, Dabur Lal powder, Close-Up toothpaste and Limca, and has been "brand ambassador" for the Jewels of India retail jewelry show.^[13] The cosmetics company Maybelline made her its international spokesperson.^[14]

At the fifth annual Kingfisher Fashion Awards she was awarded the title "Model of the Year".^[15] Shortly afterward, she was chosen as one of the models for the Kingfisher Swimsuit Calendar for 2006 and won two trophies at the Idea Zee Fashion Awards: "Female Model of the Year - (Commercial Assignments)" and "Fresh Face of the Year".^[16][17] Padukone was also chosen as the brand ambassador of Kingfisher Airlines and later Levi Strauss and Tissot SA.^[18] In addition, she appeared in the music video for Himesh Reshammiya's song Naam Hai Tera.

Debut & Breakthrough in Films, 2006-09[link]

Padukone made her cinematic debut in Kannada with Aishwarya opposite Upendra in 2006. She later made a successful Bollywood debut in 2007 with Farah Khan's blockbuster Om Shanti Om opposite Shahrukh Khan. The film was a re-incarnation melodrama, featuring her in a double role.^[19][20] Her performance was well received, earning the actress a Filmfare Best Female Debut Award as well as her first Filmfare Best Actress nomination. Taran Adarsh from indiaFM noted, "Deepika has all it takes to be a top star — the personality, the looks and yes, she's supremely talented too. Standing in the same frame as SRK and getting it right is no small achievement. She comes as a whiff of fresh air!"^[21] About being cast opposite Shah Rukh Khan, she said,

"When Farah was casting for Happy New Year, she saw my commercials on TV and called my agent. I met her when she was rehearsing at a dance hall in Juhu. When that film didn’t happen, she offered me OSO. Farah took care of me right from the first meeting, introducing me to Shah Rukh Khan and ensuring that I was comfortable with him. Six months prior to shooting, we frequently met up for lunches and dinners."^[22]

Padukone was then seen playing a feisty, modern-day Indian woman, Gayatri, in Siddharth Anand's romantic comedy Bachna Ae Haseeno alongside Ranbir Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Minissha Lamba.^[23] The film, which released on 15 August 2008, performed reasonably well at the box office, but her performance drew flak. Adarsh wrote, "Deepika is a sore point. Her role isn't convincing and that's the reason why this performance doesn't work. The only consolation is, she looks gorgeous."^[24]

Deepika Padukone at the premiere of Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey

She played a double role again in her next film, Chandni Chowk To China, which released on 16 January 2009. The film, directed by Nikhil Advani, also featured Akshay Kumar, Mithun Chakraborty and Ranvir Shorey in the lead. It was a critical and commercial disaster, with Nikhat Kazmi of The Times Of India commenting, "Deepika looks lost and forlorn for most of the film."^[25]

Padukone's fourth release Love Aaj Kal, released on 31 July 2009 and proved to be one of the biggest hits of 2009.^[26] Directed by Imtiaz Ali, the film documented the changing value of relationships among the youth. Padukone played the role of Meera Pandit, a practical and head-strong career woman opposite Saif Ali Khan. Of her performance, NDTV's Anupama Chopra wrote, "Deepika looks fabulous but she isn’t a strong enough actor to breathe life into the character."^[27] Despite this, she received her second Filmfare Award for Best Actress nomination.^[3] The same year, she teamed up with Farah Khan and Shah Rukh Khan once again for an item number in the Irrfan Khan-Lara Dutta starrer Billu.^[28] She also made guest appearances in the Telegu film Love 4 Ever and in Sohail Khan's Main Aur Mrs Khanna.^[29][30]

Initial Success, 2010-present[link]

Her first release in 2010 was Excel Entertainment’s Karthik Calling Karthik. The thriller featured Farhan Akhtar as Karthik, a troubled schizophrenic man, and Padukone as his supportive girlfriend, Shonali Mukherjee. This time, Anupama Chopra wrote, "Padukone finally seems to be thawing in front of a camera."^[31] The film, however, was a commercial failure.^[32] She then featured in Sajid Khan's multistarrer Housefull with Akshay Kumar, Ritesh Deshmukh, Lara Dutta, Arjun Rampal, Jiah Khan and Boman Irani . She played the role of Soundarya Bhagyalakshmi Venkateshwari Baassappa Rao, Kumar's girlfriend and later fiancée. The film became a blockbuster in India, with a net gross of INR 95 crores in the first week itself.^[33] As for her performance, Taran Adarsh mentioned that "Deepika is a surprise. She carries her part with amazing confidence...Housefull is the film that would make people notice her talent as well as beauty".^[34]

She then appeared in her second Yash Raj production, Lafangey Parindey which was directed by Pradeep Sarkar. She starred opposite Neil Nitin Mukesh as Pinky Palkar, a blind girl, hell bent on winning a skating competition. Upon release, Sudhish Kamath, of The Hindu wrote, "This really is Deepika Padukone's film though. She exercises considerable restraint, dances, skates, makes you cry and smile."^[35]

Padukone with her Break Ke Baad co-star Imran Khan

Her next release was Kunal Kohli's syrupy romance Break Ke Baad opposite Imran Khan, where she played Aaliya Khan, an impetuous brat. The film was not a commercial success, but won Padukone favorable reviews.^[36] Nikhat Kazmi noted, "Padukone's climactic act seems to be the best performance in her entire career: completely spontaneous, crazy and cute."^[37]

Her final release of 2010; Ashutosh Gowarikar's Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey top-lining Abhishek Bachchan, met with scathing reviews and was declared a flop. The period drama was a retelling of the 1930 Chittagong armoury raid, with Bachchan playing the revolutionary leader Surya Sen and Padukone playing Kalpana Dutta, his lover and confidant.^[38] A review carried by The Hollywood Reporter, however, mentioned her portrayal of Dutta as "impressive".^[39]

She began the year 2011 with an item number in Rohan Sippy's Dum Maaro Dum starring Abhishek Bachchan and Bipasha Basu in the lead. Her song was a remixed version of Zeenat Aman's iconic song from Hare Rama Hare Krishna.^[40] The raunchy lyrics and suggestive dancing received mixed reviews. The Deccan Chronicle mentioned her moves as "mechanised gyrations", while Adarsh wrote, "Deepika scorches the screen in the title track. "^[41][42]

Padukone at a promotional event for Aarakshan. Pictured with Prakash Jha

Next, she featured in Prakash Jha's reservation melodrama, Aarakshan starring alongside Amitabh Bachchan, as his daughter, and Saif Ali Khan, as his love-interest.^[43] Pratim D. Gupta noted, "Deepika, though, is again the refreshing thing about a movie. Both her scenes with Bachchan — one where she revolts and the other where she redeems herself — show how she has come of age as an actor."^[44] Padukone next appeared in Rohit Dhawan's Desi Boyz alongside Akshay Kumar, John Abraham and Chitrangada Singh. The film received mixed reviews from critics and was an average success at the box office.

In 2012, Padukone is expected to appear in Homi Adajania's Cocktail opposite Saif Ali Khan and Diana Penty and will make her Kollywood debut in Soundarya Rajnikanth's Kochadaiyaan opposite Rajnikanth. Following this, Padukone will be seen in Ayan Mukerji's Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani opposite ex-boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor^[45][46] and Race 2 alongside Saif Ali Khan, Anil Kapoor, John Abraham, Jacqueline Fernandez and Ameesha Patel.

Other work[link]

Philanthropy[link]

As part of NDTV's Greenathon Campaign, Padukone adopted Ambegaon, a village in Maharashtra, that was facing a major electricity crisis.^[47]

In The Media[link]

In 2009, Padukone started writing weekly columns for HT City, the lifestyle supplement of Hindustan Times. These columns appear online on social network, Desimartini.^[48]

She appeared on the cover of lifestyle magazine Vogue on May 2010 and 2011.^[49] She also walked the red carpet at the 2010 Cannes Film Festival.^[50]

On November 2010, she appeared on Koffee With Karan, a popular chat show along with Sonam Kapoor. Her comments on ex-flame Ranbir Kapoor lead to a lot of controversy among Bollywood inner-circles.^[51]

Personal life[link]

In March 2008, Padukone began dating Ranbir Kapoor, her co-star from the film Bachna Ae Haseeno (2008).^[52] After her high profile break up with Kapoor in November 2009, Padukone has decided to keep her personal life away from media attention.^[53]

Awards and nominations[link]

Filmography[link]

Notes[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Deepika Padukone

• Deepika Padukone at the Internet Movie Database

Rochelle Maria Rao, aged 23 won the Femina Miss India International 2012 ^[1]crown. She is the sister of Chennai VJ and model, Paloma Rao^[2] Rochelle was crowned by the outgoing titleholder Ankita Shorey.

Femina Miss India[link]

Rochelle Rao competed in the fifth Pantaloons Femina Miss India South pageant in January 2012 where she was first runner up. She lost the title to Shamata Anchan.^[3] She later participated at Femina Miss India and emerged as the Femina Miss India International 2012 winner. She has also won three subtitles. She will represent India at Miss International 2012 pageant which is to be held in October 2012.

References[link]

1. ^ http://feminamissindia.indiatimes.com/
2. ^ http://ibnlive.in.com/news/beauty-with-brains-gears-to-take-on-the-world/244619-60-120.html
3. ^ http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-12-23/hyderabad/30550281_1_nicole-faria-finalists-miss-earth