Sadhana gone, leaves behind 'Sadhana Cut'

Veteran Bollywood actress Sadhana Shivdasani, popularly known as Sadhana, passed away on Friday morning here after a long battle with cancer. But her famous fringe haircut - known as her trademark 'Sadhana Cut', now given a modern twist, continues to be loved by many.

A top-rung Bollywood star in the 1960s and 1970s, Sadhana was hailed for her performances in films like "Ek Musafir, Ek Hasina", "Asli Naqli", "Mere Mehboob", "Waqt", "Aarzoo" and "Mera Saaya". But she was also considered to be iconic for her own style.

In fact, when the news about her death broke out, a lot of Twitter users bid adieu to the actress by remembering her popular hairdo.

One Twitter user named Sailing Cloud wrote: "RIP Sadhana. She set the trend of bangs in hairstyle, so much so it was called Sadhanaa Cut!"

Another one named Prashant Singh posted: "Anyone else remembers 'Sadhana cut!?' As a kid, I would hear it so frequently. Shows how popular she -and her hairstyle- was. RIP Sadhanaji."

Anita Bhogle also praised her looks. "Sadhana looked so lovely in 'Hum Dono'. And the Sadhana cut was such a rage in our childhood. RIP."

When IANS asked a few hair experts about the hairdo's relevance amongst the youth in today's time, they unanimously shared that the look has been given a modern twist now.

Hair expert Bina Punjani shared that the elements of the hairdos from the 1960s are timeless.

"Fringes have become timeless as they help to alter features...to hide a big forehead or enhance tiny eyes. There are technical reasons why people use fringes across different age groups even today. Though the references are more modern. It has transformed to suit hair types," she told IANS.

Another expert Dhruv Abichandani said that her and others' looks from the past have inspired them to create newer trends.

"We take that and give a modern twist. She (Sadhana) had a soft fringe. Now, the fringes are stronger which is more stylish and relevant. They can be sightly rounded or asymmetric. We do look at the past for inspiration, but need to modernize the look," he said.

Sachin Dakoji, another hair expert, said that Sadhana used to sport the look to hide her broad forehead.

"Her look was inspired by Audrey Hepburn. Bollywood still finds her iconic. Now, not many people remember it, but people like fringe benefits. A fringe still remains popular. For Indian women, it is an ideal hairstyle especially for women who don't want to cut the length at the back. A fringe in front gives an immediate visible change," he said.

Dakoji has also recommended the look for the party season.

"If someone is not daring at heart, you can go for false fringes which you can wear for parties for the new year," he added.