Veteran Bollywood actress Sadhana Shivdasani, popularly known as Sadhana, died on Friday morning in Mumbai following a long battle with cancer. But her famous fringe haircut — known as the Sadhana Cut, lives on.
A top Bollywood star in the 1960s and 1970s, Sadhana was hailed for her performance in films such as Ek Musafir, Ek Hasina, Asli Naqli and Mere Mehboob. But she was also considered a style icon.
When news of her death broke, a number of Twitter users bid adieu to the actress by remembering her popular hairdo.
One Twitter user named Sailing Cloud wrote: “RIP Sadhana. She set the trend of bangs in hairstyle, so much so it was called Sadhanaa Cut!”
Another user named Prashant Singh posted: “Anyone else remembers ‘Sadhana cut!?’ As a kid, I would hear it so frequently. Shows how popular she — and her hairstyle — was. RIP Sadhanaji.”
Anita Bhogle also praised the actress. “Sadhana looked so lovely in Hum Dono. And the Sadhana cut was such a rage in our childhood. RIP.”
When hair experts were asked about the hairdo’s relevance in today’s time, they unanimously said the look has been given a modern twist.
Hair expert Bina Punjani said that elements of hairstyles from the 1960s are timeless.
“Fringes have become timeless as they help to alter features... to hide a big forehead or enhance tiny eyes. There are technical reasons why people use fringes across different age groups even today. Though the references are more modern... it has transformed to suit hair types,” she said.
Expert Dhruv Abichandani said that the style that Sadhana and others had has inspired hair stylists to create new trends.
“We take that and give it a modern twist. [Sadhana] had a soft fringe. Now, the fringes are stronger, which is more stylish and relevant. They can be slightly rounded or asymmetric. We do look at the past for inspiration, but need to modernise the look,” Abichandani said.
Sachin Dakoji said that Sadhana used to sport the look to hide her broad forehead.
“Her look was inspired by Audrey Hepburn. Bollywood still finds her iconic. Now, not many people remember it, but people like [the benefits of the] fringe. For Indian women, it is an ideal hairstyle, especially for women who don’t want to cut the length at the back. A fringe in front gives an immediate visible change,” Dakoji said.
Dakoji also recommended the look for the party season.
“If someone is not daring at heart, you can go for false fringes which you can wear for parties for the new year,” he added.
