10 Fashion Related Movies of India You Should Watch

When we think of fashion movies, glamorous Hollywood titles like The Devil Wears Prada or Cruella usually steal the spotlight.

But Indian cinema has its own layered, glamorous stories rooted in modeling, fashion design, textile craft, media, and the larger glamour industry. 

These films go far beyond stylish wardrobes; they explore ambition, fame, exploitation, creativity, image-building, and the price of living in the spotlight.

If you’re interested in Indian movies where fashion and glamour are central forces, not just visual aesthetics, this list of 10 fashion related movies of India offers a revealing and entertaining watchlist.

Must check this: Fashion Related Movies to Watch If You Enjoyed Cruella

1. Fashion (2008)

IMDb Rating: 6.9/10

Plot: Small-town girl Meghna Mathur moves to Mumbai to become a supermodel. She rises through the fashion industry under designer Rahul Arora, befriending model Shonali Gujral. Fame brings drugs, affairs, and scandals, leading to her downfall before she attempts a comeback by starting her own label.

Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut, Mugdha Godse, Arjan Bajwa, Samir Soni

Release Date: October 29, 2008

Why Watch This Film? Bollywood’s most direct look at India’s fashion industry, covering modeling agencies, fashion weeks, and the dark side of runway glamour. 

2. Calendar Girls (2015)

IMDb Rating: 4.2/10

Plot: Five ambitious women from diverse Indian regions—Paroma, Nazneen, Nandita, Sharon, and Mayuri—are selected for a prestigious calendar photoshoot by tycoon Rishabh Kukreja. Fame brings stardom but also betrayal, exploitation, and tragedy as they navigate Mumbai’s ruthless glamour industry.

Cast: Akanksha Puri, Ruhi Singh, Satarupa Pyne, Kyra Dutt, Avani Modi

Release Date: September 25, 2015

Why Watch This Film? Madhur Bhandarkar’s unflinching take on calendar modeling as a career launchpad. Shows how commercial shoots, brand deals, and media exposure affect models differently, from exploitation to success.

3. Supermodel (2013)

IMDb Rating: 1.9/10

Plot: In Fiji, wine baron Vikram organizes a supermodel hunt to find a face for his liquor brand. Amid the talent competition, aspiring model Anjali competes fiercely, but the mysterious murders of contestants unravel a deadly conspiracy tied to corporate rivalry.

Cast: Veena Malik, Ashmit Patel, Harsh Chhaya, Jackie Shroff, Bobby Darling

Release Date: September 27, 2013

Why Watch This Film? A campy thriller centered on a high-stakes model search and brand endorsement. Shows the desperation around landing big contracts through exotic photoshoots in Fiji.

4. Sui Dhaaga: Made in India (2018)

IMDb Rating: 6.8/10

Plot: Small-town tailor Mauji loses his job and, with his wife Mamta, starts a bespoke clothing business. Facing family pressures, financial struggles, and market rejections, they enter a design competition, blending traditional handicrafts with modern flair to build “Sui Dhaaga: Made in India” into success.

Cast: Varun Dhawan, Anushka Sharma, Raghubir Yadav, Yamini Das, Namit Das

Release Date: September 28, 2018

Why Watch This Film? Shows fabric sourcing, tailoring, local fairs, and fashion competitions, focusing on the “Made in India” side of clothing. 

5. Fashion Designer s/o Ladies Tailor (2017)

IMDb Rating: 5.9/10

Plot: Village tailor Gopalam dreams of becoming a fashion designer and cons three wealthy women into funding his ambitions, posing as their suitor. Chaos ensues when they all demand marriage, forcing him to juggle deceptions, rivalries, and family expectations.

Cast: Sumanth Ashwin, Anisha Ambrose, Manali Rathod, Manasa Himavarsha, Vennela Kishore

Release Date: June 2, 2017

Why Watch This Film? A quirky Telugu rom-com that shows fashion designer aspirations outside metros. Features design sketches and boutique dreams while exploring how “fashion designer” status is perceived in regional contexts. 

6. Ladies Tailor (1986)-Telugu

IMDb Rating: 7.3/10

Plot: In a Godavari delta village, lazy but talented ladies’ tailor Sundaram hears a prophecy that he’ll become rich if he marries a woman with a mole on her thigh. This prompts a comical quest among his female clients, leading to romantic entanglements and self-discovery.

Cast: Rajendra Prasad, Archana, Rallapalli, Mallikarjuna Rao, Subhalekha Sudhakar

Release Date: December 4, 1986

Why Watch This Film? A cult Telugu comedy centered on a ladies’ tailor whose work revolves around women’s clothing. Offers a retro view of customized tailoring, measurements, and fittings.

7. Page 3 (2005)

IMDb Rating: 7.3/10

Plot: Ambitious journalist Madhavi covers Mumbai’s glittering Page 3 social scene, encountering fashion designers, models, socialites, and film stars. Her investigation into a child abuse scandal pits her against powerful interests, testing her ethics, friendships, and career.

Cast: Konkona Sen Sharma, Atul Kulkarni, Sandhya Mridul, Boman Irani, Tara Sharma

Release Date: January 21, 2005

Why Watch This Film? Shows the media-fashion ecosystem in Mumbai, where PR, gossip columns, and networking build or break reputations. Madhur Bhandarkar’s sharp satire exposes the hypocrisy beneath glamorous lifestyles.

8. Aisha (2010)

IMDb Rating: 5.1/10

Plot: Spoiled Delhi socialite Aisha meddles in her friends’ love lives, matchmaking plain Shefali with tycoon Randhir while ignoring her own feelings for childhood friend Arjun. Her schemes backfire, leading to engagements, heartbreaks, and self-reflection in upper-class circles.

Cast: Sonam Kapoor, Abhay Deol, Amrita Puri, Ira Dubey, Cyrus Sahukar

Release Date: August 6, 2010

Why Watch This Film? Widely referenced for its styling, high-end wardrobes, and brand showcases. Weaves clothing, makeovers, and consumption into its story about privilege and superficiality.

9. The Dirty Picture (2011)

IMDb Rating: 6.5/10

Plot: Inspired by Silk Smitha’s life, ambitious Reshma flees her village for Chennai’s film world, rising as seductive “Silk” through bold item numbers. Fame fades with age and scandals, culminating in isolation and tragedy amid 1980s South cinema’s male-dominated excesses.

Cast: Vidya Balan, Emraan Hashmi, Naseeruddin Shah, Tusshar Kapoor, Rajpal Yadav

Release Date: December 2, 2011

Why Watch This Film? Explores how a woman’s body, costumes, and image are commodified in the entertainment industry. Vidya Balan’s fearless, award-winning performance shows how styling and typecasting shape careers.

10. Susman (1987)

IMDb Rating: 7.2/10

Plot: Set in Pochampally, master Ikat weaver Ramulu and his family battle mill-made fabrics to their handloom legacy. Through cooperatives, strikes, and political maneuvering, they fight for survival, highlighting rural artisans’ dignity amid industrialization’s encroachment.

Cast: Shabana Azmi, Om Puri, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Neena Gupta, KK Raina

Release Date: 1987

Why Watch This Film? Focuses on handloom weaving, labor conditions, and the preservation of traditional crafts. Shyam Benegal’s parallel cinema brings the supply-side story, showing artisanship and cultural loss behind designer labels.

TGDB thoughts,

Together, these films reveal how fashion in India stretches far beyond runways and glossy editorials. It’s a world shaped by ambition, creativity, social pressure, and cultural legacy. 

Whether rooted in handloom villages or glam-filled studios, each story highlights a different side of how clothing and identity intersect. 

If you’re exploring how Indian cinema portrays the fashion ecosystem, this list is a perfect snapshot of its diversity and depth.