Islampur, Oct. 15: The kurta may have done its bit for Brand Narendra Modi, but this churidar-kurta set could be used on the catwalk of Indo-Pak diplomacy.
This Puja the "Karachi-style" churidar-kurta is the rage in Islampur. It may not look radically different from its fashion predecessors, but as India and Pakistan keep exchanging fire at the border, this "Pakistani" attire is winning hearts in a distant pocket of India.
Young girls are walking into stores in Islampur to demand the Karachi-style churidar-kurta.
But what is the Karachi-style kurta exactly, and how did it become a fad in this town in north Bengal, which is 5,000km from the Pakistan city.
It's an Anarkali with another layer in front. Most of the kurtas have enough sparkle to make Christmas trees look pale beside them. And, like all Puja attire trends, they are a lift from showbiz - in this case popular Pakistani serials on the TV channel Zindagi.
Where politics fails, couture effortlessly travels.
The kurta sets cost between Rs 1,000 and Rs 3,000. The Islampur shops are getting them from wholesale traders in Calcutta and Mumbai.
Karachi-style kurtas are popular elsewhere, too, though perhaps they may not have a name everywhere. In the Karachi-style kurtas available online the extra front layer is not conspicuous.
Tapati Sinha, a second-year student of Islampur College, is a proud owner of the Karachi-style kurta.
She also sees the larger picture. "The dress is named after Karachi, but made here. This can only create love between two countries. I hope Pakistan also creates a dress named after India," she says.
Apurba Sarkar, a post-graduate student, says she liked the novelty of the Karachi-style kurta and bought a set.
The owner of an apparel store, Rajesh Singhania, said that young women are hooked to Karachi style. "How strange that two countries in conflict can inspire such a thing," he said.
Another garment store owner, Ashim Choudhury, who confirmed the demand for the Karachi kurta, also hoped that it would inspire better relations between the neighbours.
