Tres Chic...Tres Simple...Katrina's Sartorial Crisis

Famously, it was poet-thinker Harindanath Chattopadhyay who said, “It’s very difficult to be simple”. By his reckoning, Katrina’s most difficult role is in Ek Tha Tiger. Director Kabir Khan who had earlier insisted on a no-makeup look for Katrina in New York has this time gone even further and insisted that she wear clothes from her own wardrobe which Katrina has happily done. As a friend of the actress says, “Casual wear is Katrina’s biggest joy in life. She hates to dress up and put on makeup. She is happiest when unadorned. No wonder we see her face plastered with a smile during the Ek Tha Tiger schedules.” Interestingly it’s just the opposite for Katrina in the Yashraj film where she is throughout dressed up to look urbane cool. When it comes the bitter vibes between Shah Rukh and Salman Khan even their co-star gets caught in the vehement crossfire in a most unexpected way. Hence it’s two different Katrina Kaifs shooting simultaneously with the Khan superstars for the same banner. Sartorially she is as far removed in Kabir Khan’s Ek Tha Tiger and Yash Chopra’s untitled film as humanly possible. Salman’s girl in Tiger is minimalist in every sense. She talks less and wears practical comfortable clothes. Says a source close to Katrina, “Katrina is dressed completely like an average city girl of today on Ek Tha Tiger. That basically means she’s for the first time dressing up for a role exactly the way she dresses up in real life. Katrina even dug into her own wardrobe for this part. For the Yashji’s film Katrina was given a far more chic appearance. Even when she is doing a casual song in the park the ‘casual’ look has been considerably worked upon.” Apparently Yash Chopra is adamant on transforming Katrina into the archetypal Yash Chopra heroine. In fact the poet par excellence Gulzar has penned a paean to Katrina’s beauty that A R Rahman has composed for Shah Rukh Khan’s character to sing. Says our source, “It’s Gulzar Saab most romantic song since Jab bhi yeh dil udaas hota hai jaane kaun aas-paas hota hai. And it can’t be sung to Katrina in torn jeans and floppy top.” Apparently Yashji has been telling friends the love song that Shah Rukh sings to Katrina is the most romantic number he has shot since Kabhi kabhi mere dil mein. As a source close to both the projects put it, “The difference between Katrina’s look in Ek Tha Tiger and Yashji’s film is the difference between the girl next door and the girl next door to the most romantic guy. She is real-life normal in Kabir Khan’s film and a glamorized avatar of normal in Yashji’s film.”