Padukone, who grabbed eyeballs with her performance in the Bollywood hit, will vie with Joan Chen of China (The Home Song Stories), Jeon Do-yeon of South Korea (Secret Sunshine), Kirin Kiki (Tokyo Tower: Mom and Me, and Sometimes Dad), Kim Yun-jin of Korea (Seven Days) and Tang Wei of Hong Kong (Lust, Caution) for the top award. 

The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony here on March 17. 

The model-turned actress made her debut in "Om Shanti Om" which also stars Shahrukh Khan. The film is based on the theme of reincarnation in which the protagonist attempts to rediscover the mystery of his demise and 'finds' Shanti, the love of his previous life. 

Prior to entering Bollywood, Padukone, daughter of Badminton legend Prakash Padukone, was into modeling
 

So with the yesteryear fashion coming a full circle, KT explores what’s making this style such a rage with the fashionistas. 

“Oh celebs are trendsetters,” starts fashion designer Anita Dongre, on how this trend has surpassed all others. “Om Shanti Om had a big starcast and was capable of drawing a huge audience. And with it being declared a hit, the movie was successful in bringing in the retro look. So much so, the 70s look has gradually passed on from silver screen to the fashion on the street.” Having said that, she goes on: “With summer around the corner, the look will be experimented by both men and women. Pastel shades and smoky colours like dark coffee will be more popular. Besides, I feel, in the coming season, there would be more stress on the bohemian look though with a touch of elegance.” 

Talking on parallel lines, fashion designer Neelam Vaish from Lucknow, avers, “Talk of retro, and it’s the ‘Mumtaz style’ of sari draping that can’t go without a mention. And with saris always having been an integral part of Indian women’s wardrobe, girls are indeed trying that. And since the trend is of mix ‘n’ match, chiffon saris with brocades and embroidered sarees with broad borders are most in demand.” 
As says, Nishi Mehra, a socialite, “In a recent party, I dressed up as a yesteryear actor Leena Chandravarkar. And obviously with it being the most ‘in thing’ these days, I bagged a whole lot of compliments too. And I seriously believe, this fashion is here to stay.” 

What’s more, it looks like, not just women but even men who would be seen sporting ‘checked’ coats, thick side burns and golf caps much like SRK in OSO. As 22-year-old Mohit Bajpai says, “This is a good idea actually. Even my dad is very happy with this trend as I am finally wearing his coat, and they wouldn’t go waste. This way, not only you save your parents’ clothes from being wasted but you get loads of compliments for keeping abreast with the latest trends too.” 

To this, Vaish further adds, “In fact, compared to women, it’s men now who are more experimental. The time’s not far when we’ll see them flaunting bold designs like polka dots and floral prints in bright colours like red green and yellow.” 

However, ask well-known make-up artist Bharat, and he says, “Maintaining that retro look is a challenge. But since everyone wants to stand out in weddings and parties, almost everyone’s experimenting with the look. But striking a balance between the retro and contemporary look is is the biggest challenge.” 
But anything for fashion, right folks! 
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