Mumbai, Feb 2 (IANS) One is a legendary actor, and the other his contemporary and edgy kin. With Anil Kapoor and his niece Janhvi Kapoor adding star power to the classic bandhgala at Raghavendra Rathore's show, the designer is confident of leaving an

impact, promoting the culturally rooted clothing across genders, age groups and the world.

Rathore, who will showcase his line 'An Ode To The Bandhgala' at the Lakme Fashion Week (LFW) Summer/Resort 2019 here on Saturday night, has confidence in the power of Bollywood and also in political leaders like Prime Minister Narendra Modi in pushing the visibility of the bandhgala.

"We have Mr. Anil Kapoor, who has been wearing the bandhgala for eight to nine years... He projects this modern look for the masculine side of our line.

"With Janhvi coming in and endorsing the womenswear bandhgala, the impact will be complete, and you will see a whole new possibility. Within the next two to three years, we will see the bandhgala for the women be more prominent, not because of us, but just because young people will start wearing more of it," Rathore told IANS in an
interview here.

Known for putting the quintessential and patented Jodhpur bandhgala jacket on the global fashion map, Rathore is returning to the ramp after three years.

The brand, Raghavendra Rathore Jodhpur, too, is coming full circle, showcasing its reinvented womenswear bandhgala line, after several seasons.

Rathore says you could be anywhere in the world wearing this classic garment, and people will establish the India connect.

"It can be the most modern looking dress. As long as you have a bandhgala, it is ensured you are projecting your nation, your heritage, your culture... It's a versatile and modern tool," he said, appreciating how the Prime Minister has been endorsing it frequently.

To Rathore, who comes from Jodhpur and a royal lineage, the bandhgala is the most versatile offering out of India.

"There's Taj Mahal, of course, and you have the impression of India, that there are thousands and thousands of people and how crowded it is. I see the bandhgala as the third thing."

On the future of the bandhgala, Rathore said: "The future of the bandhgala is that it's a weapon and arsenal for you to express yourself that are from a particular culture.

"If you walk into a party in any other part of the world, which most of the young clients will be doing, walking in with something that has more personality will have you in a better standing than to blend in without having to wear different colours. It can be a black bandhgala and still look different."

(Radhika Bhirani can be contacted at radhika.b@ians.in. She is in Mumbai on an invitation by LFW organisers.

--IANS rb/sug/ab