Tactful Trends: Cultural Connotations and Projections of Personality via Costumes in Devdas’ Hindi film Adaptations

Name of Author : Souvik Datta

Abstract: In Chattopadhyays novel, Devdas upon his return from London is seen in trousers. People change, ideologies shift and trends alter in symphony with these. A mapping of attire in the adaptations of Devdas reaffirms fashion as a sign system, with perpetual changes in signification depending on context, location and temporality. Barthes felt that there was no fashion without discourse. While this may not necessarily be true, it would be wise to reconcile with the notion of fashion inaugurating discourse with regard to its application. Fashion texts, according to him, are keys to opening the invisible. This paper reasserts the relevance of his mention, reminding one that fashion is barely literary in its interactions with the outfits themselves laying aside its luxury of connotation for the world at large.

Keywords : Tactful Trends, Cultural Connotations, Projections of Personality, Costumes in Devdas, Hindi film Adaptations

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