Actor Sanjay Dutt, better known as Sanju baba, was controversy’s favourite child. He has sobered down now but continues to make waves for his signature style statements.
Be it his leather shoes, cross earrings or perfectly flattering bootcut jeans, he never fails to grab eyeballs…and impress. And well, with his birthday right around the corner (July 29), let’s celebrate his passion for looking different with every choice he makes in terms of fashion.
“Sanjay Dutt has always been a trendsetter right from his long hair look back in the ’90s with his debut film Rocky that became a rage amongst the girls to his gangster rap look that involved leather jackets, wristbands, beads around the neck and boots,” voices designer Amy Billimoria.
Trademark styles
More often than not, Baba has his own sense of style, which is a mix of many different inspirations. He also favours easy and comfort fashion, usually sticking to silhouettes that are masculine and age-appropriate. “Sometimes, he mixes Indian and Western casual, and I think he generally does not give in to trends,” says stylist Maneka Harisinghani.
“Since he likes to keep it cool and not very detailed, I think it really works on him,” says Amy. Maneka declares it to be a mix of biker chic with street elements, but all put together with a traditional reliance on boot-cut denims, structured shirts and heavy accessories such as oversized buckles, chains, bracelets, etc.
Fun experiments
Sanjay Dutt has donned many different looks in his vast Bollywood career and not taken a backseat when it came to sporting various looks according to script and character demands. “I think he was one of the first to work with the lumberjack look fused with the biker look, and I think a combination of that would look good on anyone with a muscular frame,” opines Maneka. A checked shirt with fitted denims, accented with boots and leather accessories is definitely a good look.
Colour specification
Sanjay Dutt is mostly spotted sporting ripped straight fit denims teamed with a shirt or a casual tee. “On events and celebrations, he chooses the classic pathani in monochrome colour palette and teams it up with a jacket,” points out Amy. She further adds, “These styles are inspired more from a comfort and classic zone and does not over-emphasise the elements of glam or embellishments.”
Colours that work well with this style are fern greens, Prussian blues along with the classic blacks and whites. “Dutt relies a lot on black and neutral/earthy shades. Taking a cue from him, olive greens, navy blues and dark burgundy are good colours for men to use; and of course, black,” says Maneka. There is simply no going wrong with black.
Styling cues
Sanjay Dutt’s style can be worn by the contemporary man of today who speaks more with his attitude towards life that translates into his attire. “First, boot-cut denims are a staple and can look good on anyone if worn well,” shares Maneka. Second, adding some leather to your look can give it an edge, or help bring an entire look together. “Third, men don’t need to fear accessories such as chains and bracelets. They are a good way to pump up a street look,” adds Maneka.
Fashion reason
There is a reason for almost every appearance and hence, there is a reason for appropriate clothing as well. Besides, there is always something great about dressing that makes you stand out. So, when one bases one’s style on comfort, it takes care of a lot of fashion errors.
“At the same time, being constantly in the public eye makes one more aware, so I think the great thing is that this kind of approach lifts you up and lets you be confident,” explains Maneka. It’s a good way to start building your style statement.
Attitude matters
“Sanjay Dutt makes a style splash even with a simple jeans and shirt look giving it an oomph and elan all because of his persona and attitude that define his comfort chic style,” says Amy. But more than wondering how to pull off such a style, we first need to switch on our ultra-cool side to have that swag; something Mr. Dutt has a lot of. “So, just build that confidence and you will get the swagger that you need. After all, it’s all about how you wear rather than what you wear,” concludes Maneka.
