Mumbai: The 1980s have made a comeback on social media, with Bollywood celebrities joining a viral Instagram trend featuring retro-inspired looks created with artificial intelligence. Kiara Advani, Sidharth Malhotra, Shruti Haasan, and several other celebrities have embraced the nostalgic trend, sharing their own versions of 80s-style images with their followers.
According to United News of Bangladesh, Kiara shared an AI-generated image on her Instagram Stories featuring herself and her husband, Sidharth Malhotra, in retro avatars. Sidharth, known for Ek Villain, appeared in a classic double-denim outfit paired with dark aviator sunglasses. Kiara opted for the colourful fashion associated with the era, wearing a vibrant pink outfit with puffed sleeves, completing the look with oversized hoop earrings and bangles. She also added Sidharth's romantic song 'Samjho Na' from his upcoming film The Vvaan to the post.
Actor Ameesha Patel also joined the trend in a neon-pink retro outfit featuring a one-shoulder top and denim shorts. She accessorised the look with leg warmers and white-and-pink sneakers while posing on a large boombox. Shruti Haasan, however, went further back in time, sharing an image inspired by the 1960s rather than the 1980s. The actor appeared in a hippie-inspired look featuring a printed top, matching headscarf, and blue jeans.
Tahira Kashyap, wife of actor Ayushmann Khurrana, and Saba Ali Khan, sister of Saif Ali Khan, also participated in the trend, sharing their own retro-inspired images on social media. This viral trend highlights how AI is providing social media users with an easy way to recreate and revisit styles from the past.
Creating an 80s-style image using AI is relatively simple. Users can upload a clear photograph to an AI image-generation tool such as ChatGPT and ask it to place the person in an 80s-inspired setting while retaining recognisable facial features. To give the image an authentic retro feel, users can include elements such as voluminous hairstyles, colourful clothing, denim jackets, statement accessories, vintage interiors, Bollywood-inspired backgrounds, warm lighting, faded tones, and a film-grain effect. The generated image can then be refined by adjusting details such as the hairstyle, outfit, or background while keeping the person's identity intact.