In the fifteen years since its release, Jab We Met (2007) has cast a lofty legacy in the realm of Indian cinema. However, few scenes from the movie are considered as iconic as the sight of a train gliding drowsily into Ratlam station, blanketed under a cloudless sky. It is the perfect night for self-introspection and perhaps mulling over where your life is headed—unless you happen to be sharing your berth with a sprightly twenty-something with a flair for the dramatic. Needless to say, elaborate song sequences and life epiphanies abound, but it was the sight of a young Geet (played by Kareena Kapoor Khan) in her outré outfit pairings that stayed with viewers the most.
Over the coming week, Imitiaz Ali’s oeuvre would go on to gross 11.75 crores at the box office till while cementing his name as a force to be reckoned with. Meanwhile, a strange phenomenon was unfolding at street markets across the country as the demand for long t-shirts and patiala pants skyrocketed. You may not wake up as the endlessly chirpy Geet in the morning but maybe, just maybe, copping her sartorial insouciance could help you channel some of her boundless enthusiasm for life.
Setting trends is, of course, nothing new for Kapoor Khan, whose onscreen and offscreen style regularly elicits superlatives. However, she credits couturier Manish Malhotra for turning Geet into a sartorial icon. “The entire outfit was Manish’s idea! He told Imtiaz, ‘We should put a film print on her t-shirt and she should wear it with a patiala’. He said, ‘It will look amazing, Bebo’ and he decided to put Mughal-e-Azam on the t-shirt and it became a rage! So, if it wasn’t for Manish, we wouldn’t have had the Geet that we’ve all come to love so dearly today,” she shared in a chat show.
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Upon closer inspection, you will find that the magic doesn’t lie in the pieces themselves but in the way they are worn. A skinny tee emblazoned with a vintage movie poster and layered over a blue camisole for contrast. Pleated patiala pants added for volume and rounded out with embroidered juttis—the go-to footwear of choice for chasing trains and errant billionaires. While this look would go on to inspire a cult-like following, the remainder of Geet’s wardrobe from the movie offers up endless inspiration as well for the everygirl. The patiala pants pop up again in ‘Mauja Hi Mauja’, teamed with a strappy embellished top for maximum impact on the dancefloor. Phulkari scarves find themselves draped over crop tops as a nod to her character’s origins in Bhatinda, Punjab. Consider the pieces individually, and they are wardrobe staples that you likely have strewn in your own closet. But put them all together, and Malhotra has conjured a timeless aesthetic that is loyal to its origins but yet holds universal appeal down the ages.
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As you rewatch the movie on a Friday night, perhaps you might find yourself reaching for a corset top and red skirt. Or maybe her outlandish take on clashing colours—remember the saturated pink kurta teamed with a pistachio green salwar in ‘Nagada’?—might inspire you to inject some merry hues into your 9-to-5 wardrobe. Regardless of what pops up on your social calendar this season, the uninhibited ebullience of Geet’s wardrobe is a timeless reminder of the joys of dressing up.
Also read:
Jab We Met: Would Geet and Aditya be together today?
In pictures: Kareena Kapoor Khan’s most stylish onscreen moments
