Historical Attire vs Folk Costume
“A stereotype may be negative or positive, but even positive stereotypes present two problems: They are cliches, and they present a human being as far more simple and uniform than any human being actually is.” - Nancy Kress.
A bengali woman wraps on herself a hand-made tant (one of many fabrics) saree perhaps the oldest style of wearing saree in the region often depicted in kalighat paintings. A punjabi woman in her historical attire much more pragmatic, relatable to and representative of the humble folks of punjab, or be it the baloch gentleman with his long white cotton dress and turban that serves him in his lands summer climate.
All of these clothes purposefully made, reflects the pragmatism intertwined with culture and emotions.
Meanwhile this complexity is often reduced to one shiny costume or attire in our own popular media. Bollywood could also be called the factory of stereotypes whether its the infamous Punjabi means "Singh is king" or bengali means "Devdas". It seems popular media has tunnel vision when it comes to regional diversity.
Bhangra, gidda lohri in the antiquity of punjab is not performed shiny nylon dresses on the silver screen but in villages with authentic fervor, and fabric.
From basonti pujo in spring to ashtami, dashami, and many more bengalis varied yet humble visual diversity often relegated to only the red and white gorod (saree).
The free-spirited baloch with his flowing hair wrapped in soft white turban reflecting the sun's glare, Baloch people although simple have a variety of colorful festivals like sibi that traces its roots to mehrangarh and the free-spirited buzkash festival where experienced riders perform in horse riding events.
This variety and nuance is far cry from the stage shows and performance with bollywood music, glazing over whats relatable and making reality supposedly unpresentable, thus furthering the stereotypes.
Nevertheless, the burden of accepting nuance and diversity is on us. Thus here you can see their folk attires presented to the best of my efforts.
Written by @vishvajit.artem (Instagram)
