Why Anjali From Kuch Kuch Hota Hai Was Way More Fashionable Than Tina

Remember Kuch Kuch Hota Hai? Karan Johar’s ode to Archie comics? Unless you lived the entire ‘90s living under a rock, there is no way you could have missed it.

Here’s what we got from it:

Girls should look like girls. They can only look like girls if they wear dresses, salwar kameezes, and of course, they should have long hair. Tina had to be that girl, the plot hinged on Rahul falling in love with her first. She was more fashionable, more “like a girl”. Once Anjali had become the same, with hair longer than Tina’s and clad in sarees, Rahul could fall in love with her.

(If you noticed the absence of short dresses on Anjali (post transformation) à la Tina, that’s ‘coz good Indian girls can only wear short clothes in college, once a boy gets their attention and falls in love with them, they switch to salwar kameezes full time until they reach a marriageable age, and that’s when they switch to sarees.)

Here’s the thing though. The entire premise of the plot is flawed. Anjali wasn’t the less fashionable one. Tina was.

Before you get your scrunchie in a twist about how dare we question the unsuitable boy genius that is Karan Johar, let us show you via a few examples that Anjali was a fashion visionary, just way ahead of her time.  

Before you call them ‘sports shoes’ like we did in the ‘90s, we will have you know that what she is wearing is a cult street wear staple today.

Side striped tracks and a baseball cap like she’s Bella Hadid. Don’t miss those tiny sunglasses. We’ll say it again, VISIONARY!

Double the denim, double the style! Also, is that a sunflower belt on Tina?!

Rocking logomania before it was even a thing! Also in case you missed it, that’s a swimsuit she’s wearing as a top. Genius!

A bright yellow with a pastel was THE colour pairing to come out of New York Fashion Week Fall 2016! But just another day for Anjali, 10 years ago. Also, look how she rocks them overalls.

Turtlenecks for life! Ignore the fact that she was a blubbering mess when she wore this, look how chic the colour is – another Pantone favourite – Greenery.  

Further proof that Rahul was a complete idiot. She’s rocking Moschino pink. Péro used her a muse for their Fall 2018 show, complete with the headband.