Telly
Oindrilla Dasgupta, founder of Eat. Shop. Love is a die-hard fan of the series. Talking about adaptations on telly, Oindrilla says: The soap Pyaar ki Ek Kahaani was too funny. They got the Indian Bella and Edward married, and got in a vamp too. I think Vampire Diaries was by far the best adaptation of any vampire series so far.
Books
While we have zombies running loose in Delhi thanks to Mainak Dhar’s Alice in Deadland trilogy, the Twilight series has not given rise to geisha faced vampires in Chowpatty. Sreemoyee Piu Kundu, author of Sita’s Curse says: “I feel that in India, it is just unfortunate that when a book or movie becomes a hit, people duplicate the formula mindlessly. Why is it that we don’t have good sci-fi novels that are not graphic novels? Or why isn’t horror or erotica explored well enough by Indian writers? There is so much to these genres of writing but with the marketing folk controlling those in publishing, I guess you cannot expect good, original literature on themes such as this, although there is so much to explore from the tantric culture India is known for, among other things.”
Food
“When the Twilight series came out, there was this huge craze even among foodies,” says Joonie Tan, pastry artist at Lavonne. “Cake artists would receive large orders for Twilight-themed cupcake and cakes. Theme cakes were presented differently. They were bloody and dark, sometimes even ghoulish looking! Apple topped cupcakes and chess board themed cakes inspired by the book cover were quite popular and that was also around when red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting made a grand entry. For the cocktails, vampire’s wine, vampire’s venom shots and blood punch were served at parties.”
Fashion
“The vamp vibe invaded the world of fashion thanks to the series,” says fashion blogger and photographer Manvi Gandotra. “The gothic look dominated runways. Black-clad vampires were the new black. H&M collaborated with Japanese label Comme des Garcons to come up with an inky black, Drac-drenched collection. Dior launched a dark grey, silver, and blue palette called Twilight that sold like hot cakes. Every character, whether vampire, wolf, or half-vampire-half-human, had a tremendous fashion sense. From fur pieces to billowy, embroidered tops; and button-down plaid shirts, these supernatural creatures sure knew how to dress. You can see the influence it has had with young people opting for black clothes, smoky eye make-up, and nails painted in a gunmetal varnish.”
Make up
Naina Ruhail, makeup artist and beauty blogger says, “Beauty trends inspired by Twilight include berry lips and glossy hair. While vampires sparkle in the sun, a touch of highlighter on the cheekbones and nose was enough to make your skin glow and give the same effect. Pale skin also became a thing. An even base with no eye makeup does the trick.”
