A Suitable Boy

There’s a Suprising Reason Why Actor Abhishek Bachchan Is on Every ‘India’s Most Stylish’ List. (No, It Has Nothing to Do With His Dad!)

- Riaan Jacob George

TOM FORD once said, “Dressing well is a form of good manners.” If this is anything to go by, Abhishek Bachchan is very well-mannered. He shows up at our interview on time, pressed and dressed, in the company of – and clad in a bespoke suit by – his Savile Row tailor, Paul Jheeta. Before settling down to chat, Abhishek unapologetically proclaims, “I am a huge admirer of suits. And I have no qualms. If you give me something to wear for sheer comfort, if it wasn’t a tracksuit, it would have to be a suit.” With his unmistakable sense of humour and boyish grin, he tells me, “I could even sleep in a suit, if I had to.”

EFFORTLESS STYLE

This sets the tone for a rather interesting tête-à-tête with the actor, who has earned the reputation of being one of the most stylish in Bollywood. The countless best dressed lists apart, the 40-year-old has established himself in the collective consciousness of Bollywood fans as a suave and dapper gent in an impeccably-cut suit. Abhishek has adopted the suit as his signature, effortlessly embodying its timeless codes and sartorial elegance; it’s a far cry from the reticent young actor we saw on screen at the start of his career.

Fuss-free, articulate and disarmingly charming, Abhishek breezes through the photo shoot, and then settles down to explain how he fell in love with suits.

“It all goes back to my school, where we had to be dressed in a jacket and a tie every day. That probably explains why I am so used to wearing suits,” says the actor, who claims to be nervous about casual wear. “For me, the easiest thing is to get a nice suit out and team it with a crisp white shirt and a tie. Then I’m good to go.”

A MAN AND HIS TAILOR