IN THE MAKING

If you’re anything like me- a die-hard Bollywood lover- then I am sure you’ve imagined yourself in every scene of your favourite Bollywood movie.

You’ve dreamed of a grand filmy love story, you’ve sung Bollywood songs at the top of your lungs with friends, and maybe even imagined yourself as the main character who leaves home to discover who they really are.

If any of that sounds familiar, then trust me — you’re going to love hosting a Bollywood-themed party.

So get ready to invite your friends for the biggest, most dramatic bash of the year.
Don’t worry, I am going to help you organize it.

Let’s start with the easiest thing to arrange-

DECOR

If there’s one thing Bollywood has taught us, its that nothing is too much. I feel its easiest to plan a Bollywood themed party as you can go all out.

Whether you’ve ever imagined yourself walking down the Filmfare red carpet, or dancing on a grand Karan Johar set- this is your chance to make it real.

Let’s start with the easiest part- Decor

Set the scene with a Bollywood- worthy color Palette

Since Bollywood movies celebrate India in all its vibrant glory , the color theme you choose can instantly set the tone.
If you are planning a red carpet premier theme- go classy and bold with rich reds, black, gold and silver. Think velvet drapes, golden lights, a big red carpet ( ofcourse) and shiny table settings.
On the other hand, If you would like to go with a more festive theme, go all in with hot pinks, royal blues, oranges and purples. Use colorful dupattas or saris for drapes, mirror work cushions for sofas and traditional lanterns for a warm golden glow.

Add in a Photo Booth

No party is complete without a photo booth- especially not a Bollywood one. Guests love posing infront of a fun backdrop with quirky props.

Set up a colourful backdrop using drapes, fairy lights or a film poster collage. Add props like clapboards, film reels, sunglasses and popcorn tubs. You can frame or stick movie posters from iconic films across decades on the backdrop. ( P.S. I’ve included free printable cutouts at the end of this blog- enjoy!)

Do not forget to keep dialogue cutouts and Bollywood memes. Print classic lines like

• “Mogambo Khush hua!”
• “Bade bade deshon mein aisi chhoti chhoti baatein hoti rehti hain”
• “Mere paas maa hai”
• “Don ko pakadna mushkil hi nahi, namumkin hai”
• “Main apni favourite hoon”

Guest love holding these while clicking funny and memorable photos.
You don’t need to spend on props and cutouts. There are plenty free printables available online.

I’ve aslo created a set of printable cutouts that you can download and use for your party – completely free! Just scroll to the end of this post to access the files and start printing.

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What to wear to a Bollywood theme Party?

Outfit Ideas for Men and Women

We now come to the most important part of the party- OUTFITS!
The decor and music set the mood, but it’s the outfits the bring the theme to life.

It’s extremely important and way more fun if the guests come dressed as their favourite Bollywood character or in an iconic movie character. It instantly brings the theme alive and sets the mood for the night full of dance, drama and music.
Bollywood produces more than a 1000 movies every year, so we’re lucky we’ve got plenty of legendary characters and looks to draw inspiration from.

You could channel your inner 90s diva and get dressed like Madhuri Dixit in Hum Aapke Hai Koun…! or get ready to win hearts by dressing up as the ever romantic Shahrukh Khan from Mohobbatein.

Here’s some fun Bollywood theme party outfit ideas you could use and recreate. Pick your vibe and get filmy!

Bollywood costume ideas for Women

1950s – 1970s

• Madhubala in Mughal-e-Azam (1960)
  Wear a white Anarkali dress. Add in a Jacket . Next you need a qawwali cap- if you don’t you could skip it. Accessorize with heavy jhumkas, necklaces, hathphool(if) and a waist belt.
• Hema Malini in Sholay(1975)
  One of the most iconic characters of all time- Basanti! Recreate this look by wearing an orange ghagra-choli with a yellow dupatta. Do not get to fixated on exact colours, you can wear any coloured ghagra-choli you have- only if you remember to feel like Basanti and embody her spirit and zeal for life. Take out all your oxidized jewellery and wear necklaces, jhumkas and nose pins. Do not forget to put a black bindi to complete your look.
• Zeenat Aman in Hare Rama Hare Krishna(1971)
  Wear a yellow floral printed top with yellow/orange pants or bell bottoms. Accessorize with large bangles, earrings, an orange garland and an oversized orange/pink/brown shades.

1980s- 1990s

• Sridevi in Chandni(1989)
  I’m sure all of us have imagined ourselves on a hill top wearing a chiffon saree and dancing to our favourite song. For this look open your mother’s closet and wear a plain yellow saree. Pair it up with a pearl necklace, earrings, bracelets and a white sandal. Remember, no saree look is complete without a bindi.
• Madhuri Dixit in Hum Aapke Hain Koun…!(1994)
  Wear a purple lehenga or drape a purple saree like a lehengea. Team it up with gold jewelry and a purple bindi.
• Kajol in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai(1998)
  It’s time to channel your inner tomboy Anjali and wear a red jumpsuit along with a plain white tshirt. Wear a navy blue cap and white shoes.

2000s – Now

• Kareena Kapoor in Jab We Met(2007)
  Kareena’s look in this movie is extremely popular and highly recognizable. Wear a white top, black waist coat and a long red skirt. To complete this look you’ll need big hoop earrings, rings and flats.
• Deepika Padukone in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani(2013)
  I am back with one more saree look. Channel your inner Naina and wear a deep blue saree with black sleeveless blouse. Wear earrings and bangles to complete the look.

Bollywood costume ideas for Men

1950s – 1970s

• Amitabh Bachchan in Don(1978)
  One of Amitabh Bachchan’s most iconic looks and one that has been recreated so many times- Vijay from Don. This look needs you to wear a white shirt with a brown/black waistcoat and brown/black trousers. Wear a red kitchen cloth in a knot on your forehead and wear formal shoes to complete the look.
• Amitabh Bachchan in Deewar(1975)
  To recreate this iconic look wear a blue denim shirt on brown bootcut pants. Find a rope and wrap it around your neck. Make a badge by printing 786 on a gold paper, cut it in an oval shape and loop in a string in it by punching two holes on the paper and wear it on your arm.

1990s-2000s

• Salman Khan in Maine Pyaar Kiya(1989)
  This look is very easy to recreate. Just put on a shirt with black leather jacket and blue jeans ( not ripped). Wear sneakers and a black/blue cap. Additionally you could print ‘friend’ and stick it on the cap to be more accurate. wear a watch and a simple gold chain.
• Shakti Kapoor in Andaz Apna Apna(1994)
  One of the most iconic comic villains in Bollywood history- Crime Master Gogo! To recreate his look, you’ll need black satin shirt and trousers and a black cape. Accessorize with a silver chain, red belt and red boots. Wear black sunglasses and do not forget to wear a fake curly moustache to complete the look. Additionally you could use a toy gun as a prop to make the look more complete.

2000s- Now

• Ranbir Kapoor in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani(2013)
  This is a super popular and super easy look to recreate. For this, you’ll need a plain white tee paired with an open checked shirt and blue jeans. That’s it!
  Additionally, you could use a backpack and camera as a prop if you like.
• Shahrukh Khan in Mohobbatein(2000)
  Wear a light yellow shirt on a white t-shirt along with brown trousers and a black belt. Throw a blue/brown sweater over your shoulders along with round, silver-rimmed spectacles.
• Hrithik Roshan in Kaho Na Pyaar Hai(2000)
  Wear a mesh balck tee and black jeans along with black shoes. Put on a silver chain, bracelets and a black bandana.

You and your friends could also dress up like the entire cast of a movie. For example, dress up as the entire cast of Andaz Apna Apna- Crime Master Gogo, Amar, Prem and Teja. Or, partner up with one of your friend to recreat the iconic Munna Bhai and Circuit from Munna Bhai MBBS.

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Games & Activities

Once the decor is set, guests have arrived looking like their favourite bollywood character and the music is playing- it’s officially time to have fun!

Because let’s be honest- what’s a party without fun games and engaging activities? (Hint- BORINNGGG!)

But don’t worry, your favourite party planner ( yes, that’s me!) has got you covered with some extremly fun and totally filmy game ideas that will make your Bollywood- themed party one to remember.

1.Mimic the Character You Came As

Ask all your guests to come prepared with one iconic line or a scene to enact. For example, the one dressed as Kareena Kapoor from Jab We Met could re-enact the famous train scene from the movie, or someone dressed as Hrithik Roshan from Kaho Na Pyaar Hai could prepare a dance on the famous song ‘Ek Pal ka Jeena’ from the movie.
Additionally, guests can also perform in groups of 2, 3 or 4 to enact a popular scene from the movie.

Let your guests truly become their characters.
To make things more fun, give out small prizes for the most dramatic, most dramatic and funniest performances.

2.Bollywood Quiz

Divide your guests into teams and test their Bollywood knowledge with a fun quiz.
Set up a projector or screen to show images and songs that will be needed for the quiz.

Assign points for each game (you can keep it equal or vary based on difficulty), and have one person or a scoreboard tracking them. At the end of all the quizzes and games, the team with the most points will be crowned as the Ultimate Bollywood Fan.

Below are different types of quizes that are engaging and extremely fun.
(To make it easier for you, I’ll also be attaching my custom quiz presentation at the end of this post for you to download and use!)

• Guess the Movie : MINIMALIST POSTERS EDITION
  Minimalist movie posters are a fun design style where only most important elements of a film are shown. No titles, no actors , just hints.
  Prepare a few minimalist posters or just get some cool ones from Pinterest display them on a screen. Let your guests guess the movie name just be looking at these posters.
  
  (P.S. I’ve added some minimalist posters for you to use in my presentation below- feel free )
  
• Guess the song from its english translations: LOST IN TRANSLATION
  In this games , the guests will have to guess the Bollywood song based on it’s literal english translation which will be displayed on the screen. It sounds easy but some of these translations are hilariously confusing (and that’s the fun of it)!
  For example
  “First intoxication, first hangover, my love is new, so is the wait. What have I done to myself? This restless heart of mine. Oh restless heart, please tell me.”
  Answer: Pehla Nasha Pehla Khumaar – Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar
  
  You can prepare 5-6 of these and play this as a rapid fire or a buzzer round. Continue taking note of the points in each game, as at the end of all these quizes, will we have an ultimate winner.
  
• Guess the movie from the clip : ACTION REPLAY
  This is my favourite game — it’s fast-paced, keeps everyone on their toes, and has the whole room glued to the screen!
  Here’s how it works:
  Play a 5-10 sec video clip of from a Bollywood movie, and the guests have to guess the name of the movie from just that short snippet. To make it more challenging you can – mute the audio or play a shorter 3- second version.
  
  (P.S. I’ve attached a ready-to-use presentation at the end of the blog- feel free to download and play it!)
  And do not forget to keep track of points for this round- it could change the leaderboard!
  
• Guess the song by its instrumental music : NO LYRICS, ONLY VIBE
  This one is a pretty simple and easy yet challenging game, where players need to guess the Bollywood song from a 15- 20 sec instrumental version of the same song (no lyrics, just melody).
  You can use unplugged versions, karaoke tracks, or even instrumental intros from original songs.
  
• Guess the song from a muted video : SILENT BEATS
  Play a short clip (10–15 seconds) of a Bollywood song with the sound completely muted, and let your guests try to guess the track just by watching the visuals — the dance moves, the lip-syncing, the costumes, or even the setting.
  To make it tougher: crop the video, zoom in, or show only a portion of the scene.
  
• Guess the movie from their badly explained plots : PLOT TWIST
  This game is a total laugh riot! Guests are shown a hilariously vague, dramatic and intentionally terrible plot summary of a Bollywood movie, and they have to guess which movie is it.
  Example-
  “2 friends breaks several laws and a wedding to meet a long-lost friend with whom they broke college rules a decade ago”
  Answer- 3 IDIOTS
  
  Make a list of 8-10 such plots and display them on screen or read it out loud.
  
  P.S. Dont forget to keep note of points scored by each team
  
• Sing a song featuring the Bollywood pair displayed: HUM TUM
  Let’s end the quiz on a high note.
  Players will be shown a picture of a popular Bollywood Jodi (on-screen couple) and they have to sing any song picturised on them.
  It’s a pretty simple game, but extremely engaging and perfect to end the quiz on a high.
  Example-
  Shahrukh Khan & Kajol- Tujhe Dekha Toh, Ladki Badi Anjaani Hai
  Ranbir Kapoor & Deepika Padukone- Khuda Jane, Subhanallah
  
  This is the final round, that decide the winner- Ultimate Bollywood Fan, so sing it loud and filmy!

This brings us to the end of the quiz and I am sure you and your guests are going to love playing it ( I know I did)!
Whether you’re hosting it at home or going all out with a big bash, this quiz will make sure your party is packed with energy, emotion, and entertainment — just like a true Bollywood blockbuster.

(P.S. I have attached my own quiz presentation at the end of the blog along with other resources- feel free to use it for your party.)

3. Best Dressed Voting

Set up a quick best dressed voting round where everyone votes for their favourite look of the night ( except their own).
To do this you can either use handwritten voting chits, a simple google form or a live group chat poll.

Announce fun titles for-

• Best Actor ( Male)– for the best dressed male
• Best Actor ( Female)– for the best dressed female
• Best Actor ( Child)– for the best dressed child
• Best Jodi– for the best dressed pair
• Funniest Costume

No Bollywood celebration is complete without awards. You don’t need to buy anything fancy- just print out award titles and stick them on rectangle MDF boards or even an old cardboard. Trust me, this simple addition to your party will be the part everyone remembers. It’s going to make your guests feel like stars.

You can also name the award ceremony as creatively as you want- I went with ‘ AJAB GAZAB AWARDS’ and my guests loved it.

(P.S. I will be adding the award sticker template that I used at the end of the blog- go ahead, download it and get it printed on a sticker sheet to stick it on your boards.)

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Invite

I am a sucker for details and every party that I plan has to be proper, well thought and perfect to the T.

That’s why I believe a great invite isn’t just about sharing the date and time of the party- it’s about setting the tone. It tells your guests what to expect, how to show up and instantly gets them excited.

I feel an invite is your first shot at building the vibe, so DO NOT skip it.
Put in a little extra effort and send out proper invites ( digital or physical) to your guests. Trust me, it sets the mood and gets all your guests excited.

(P.S. I’ve also linked the editable sample invite that i designed for my party at the end – feel free to use it !)

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Free Printables & Editables

Editable Invite Template

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And that brings us to the end of the mega filmy guide. From decor to games, activities, awards and invites- everything you need to know to throw a Bollywood-themed party that’s full of drama, dance and glamour.

If you use any of these ideas, I’d love to know how your party turned out ( better if you send me pictures).
And don’t forget to download cutouts, ready-to-use games and invites I’ve added – because planning a great party should be fun, not stressful.

🎉🎥Lights. Camera. Party!