What Rani Mukherjee's wardrobe as Tina from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai would look like today

She may not have gotten her happily-ever-after with the guy of her dreams, but Rani Mukherjee’s Tina in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998) had her bases covered on the sartorial front. From vivid hues to all-eyes-on-me metallics, the girl knew a thing—or twenty—about delivering a stop-and-stare look. As the movie clocks in 25 years, here’s a look back at the hero pieces of Tina’s college wardrobe and what they would have looked like now.

Looking back at Tina’s college wardrobe in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai

No proverbial new kid blues to see here: Tina’s straight-outta-Oxford take on college fashion unsurprisingly cemented her status as the campus It-girl upon arrival. Aiding her in her quest was an unflinching take on head-to-toe colour and elevated athleisure, often punctuated with ornamental trims and chunky chokers. By day, she hot-footed it between classes in sunshine-ready co-ords and tone-on-tone pairings. Finishing touches came in the form of understated trench coats and nude mules—staples that slot in seamlessly with the memo on quiet luxury. Come dusk, the 19-year-old reached for generous lashings of metallics in the form of silver minidresses and all-over velvet bodycons in saturated hues. For Indian wear, she served up confectionery colours set in wispy chiffons for a mood-enhancing take on fuss-free fashion.

What Tina’s college wardrobe in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai would have looked like now

A quick perusal of the landscape of Y2K fashion is sufficient to prove that Rani Mukherjee— playing Tina— has sartorial staples that have stood the test of time. Over two decades later, her elevated sensibilities find a champion in a fresh crop of Gen Z stars. For a head-turning first day at college, her sunshine-hued co-ords have been revisited by Ananya Panday’s asymmetrical dress with shoulder detailing in the same vibrant hue. The monochromatic athleisure looks of fore would have likely been upgraded to ruched crop tops and flared denim with risqué cutouts àla Alaya F.

For a leisurely hangout with the cool crew on the campus, Khushi Kapoor lends fresh nuance to Tina’s candy-hued numbers by cinching a Jacquemus belt bag around her waist. Elsewhere, Sara Ali Khan has given her nod of approval to whisper-light, twirl-ready anarkalis while Janhvi Kapoor has been undoubtedly digging into Tina’s bag of tricks—the iconic party-ready metallic mini of ‘Koi Mil Gaya’ has now been reimagined as a Y2K-approved chainmail tube top. Swap the saturated velvet dresses for a midriff-baring gown and you have an It-girl-approved wardrobe that is sure to elicit compliments wherever you go.

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