Originally posted by: Kittya_Cullen
The CVs have chosen the wardrobe of each of their characters with a specific image in mind. If you look at Punar Vivah (especially by rewatching episodes often) you would notice that they use symbolism and nuances for each character, and they would not simply dress Aarti in the latest most seductive style just for the sake of it.
If you remember, Aarti was originally very sensitive about s*xual intimacy and s*xuality. She was also shown to be modest although aware of her sensuality. Both of her husbands attacked her at the most sensitive area and it certainly would not have made sense to have her traipsing about in some seductive outfit after being so strongly affected by their harsh words. So while she is an attractive woman, all of that is lost behind her insecurity in her womanhood and the lack of worth that she has for herself as a woman and a human. However she does dress in a simple, yet sophisticated manner. In fact that makes her stand out more and adds to her beauty because she isn't dressed in some garish, skimpy outfit. The woman has class.
You mentioned Paridhi:
Paridhi and Vidhi are confident women who have identities of their own. They have been validated by the love of their husbands and are reasonably well-respected within the Scindia family. Also, both came from backgrounds which involved them being raised by both parents. Neither of these women are portrayed as being uncertain about the affection they received from their respective spouses. They are rooted on a firm foundation which gives them confidence. This is why those women drape their saris in a way that reveals a bit more skin while still maintaining the perfect amount of decorum and class. Both women know that they are attractive, they know who they are, and they also know for a fact that they are loved by their husbands. Ergo, it shows in the style of dress and the way that they carry themselves. Aarti on the other hand supports herself with a projection of bravado and fake self-confidence;hiding the embarrassment, pain, fear and hurt that resulted from being insulted by both of her husbands, behind her motherhood, bahu-ism and daughterhood. These are the things that currently make up her identity, which means that she doesn't stand alone as a person, rather she relies on those around her to give her an identity. Slowly though, her love for Yash has been bringing her out of that and forcing her to become "her" rather than only being what duty demands. The producers made this most evident by the slow evolution of her hair styles in the show- from keeping it up because it hurt to remember that Prashant once liked her that way to wearing it on her shoulders everyday.
Most things in Punar Vivah are part of a larger picture and not simply based on the latest trends.
P.S. The looser tops could be because Kratika has lost some weight, but as far as I can see it looks more like a particular style than a wardrobe malfunction. I'll leave that the sari bodice experts.
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Thank you for this comment!
I agree with everything that you've said here, especially the parts in red. The sentence in bolded red: Exactly. And that is what I love the most about Punar Vivaah.
Vidhi/Paridhi and Aarti: Sure, they all wear saris, and all of them are bahus in the same household...but they have differing personalities and that is reflected in their dressing styles and even the type of fabrics their saris are made of (Paridhi, the stubbornly independent, young, confident one, wears lighter, semi-translucent fabrics; Vidhi, the nurturing, supportive, responsible mother, wife, and bahu, wears patterned saris that are made of a more solid fabric than Paridhi's saris; Aarti seems to fall in the middle on this spectrum, probably for a reason). Vidhi's and Paridhi's sense of security in their self-identity and the support they've received throughout their lives, based on what we've seen so far, sets them apart from Aarti, who has faced abandonment and rejection and hardships time and time again. Her sense of self-worth has eroded, and only recently have we seen it slowly starting to be built up again.
Aarti's insecurity: This is the most critical point. In the very first episode, we see how Aarti reacts to Mansi's words about low-cut blouses and dressing styles that are obviously meant to scream "seductive" - Aarti is modest in her dressing style, and that's not a bad thing. She has been shown as a woman who disregards or gently shrugs off compliments from others if they are related to her physical appearance; unless she absolutely has to dress up in a fancy sari for a special occasion (and "fancy" does not have to mean "sleeveless blouse with tons of sequins" and the like), I don't think she'd deviate from her regular sari style and hairstyle. Even with those special occasions in mind (like her wedding and Yash's birthday), we've seen that the way she wears her saris is sophisticated and a reflection of her personality and vulnerability. She's not going to be gliding around the house doing her daily tasks or going out in public in provocatively-draped saris made of flimsy fabrics. She has self-respect and class and modesty, even if her self-esteem may take a while to rise.
P.S. The fact that Aarti started to wear blouses that have lower cuts in the back says something about her increasing comfort level within the Scindia household. Those blouses themselves are perfectly in line with Aarti's personality: she wears them on a regular basis, not making a fuss over her appearance; they are traditional blouses (and there is nothing wrong with classic blouses - they are elegant and classy) but the way she carries them (and Kratika has such poise that she carries off her saris beautifully!) gives the entire outfit an inherent sensuality. The beauty of Aarti's characterization and styling is that she is beautiful, but she does not care about showing that beauty off to the rest of the world because she doesn't perceive herself to be particularly beautiful...Her self-perception is the critical thing to keep in mind here, and I think the stylists and the people who put together Aarti's overall look are doing a wonderful job getting that message across.
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