Tinsel Town: Decor Tips For Hosting A Glam, Bollywood-Themed Party

Do you want to throw the perfect Bollywood-themed party which combines the charm of old-school cinema, opulence, drama, glam and nostalgia? Look no further, because we’ve got you covered with our expert tips!

Whenever we think of theme parties in India, a classic, Bollywood-style party always turns up somewhere at the top of the list of suggestions—and for good reason! Throwing a flawless Bollywood-themed party reminiscent of classic Indian cinema is no joke, and we are here to guide you step-by-step and ensure that you’re touted as the ‘Host with the Most’ in your social circle!

Getting Started

Invites

Take inspiration or use images from old Bollywood movie posters and create your personalised invites.

Dress Code

It’s a no-brainer that the dress code of your party has to be Bolly-inspired. Now it’s your choice whether you want to really commit to the theme and go full ham and make it a costume party—think outfits inspired by yesteryears stars, iconic costumes from old-movies, etc—or whether you want to keep it chic yet extravagant, by asking your guests to dress up like they’re walking the red carpet. Whichever path you decide to choose, it’s bound to be memorable!

Decor

The prime focus of your party has to be the decor, and with old-school Bollywood being the theme of your party, the potential to wow your guests is endless.

Red Carpet

We weren’t kidding! Rolling out a small red carpet at the entrance of your party venue for your guests to strut their stuff is the perfect start to the night! Watch as the attendees suddenly turn into glamorous divas and pose for the shutterbugs (you can score some extra points by actually hiring a photographer for the party, so that your guests get the full paparazzi experience!)

Movie Posters

Decorate your venue with glamourous blown up posters of some old Bollywood classics to truly set the tone of the party. Think along the lines of Bobby, Mughal-E-Azam, Sholay, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, Deewar, Yaadon Ki Baaraat

Chandeliers

Or in the words of Om Shanti Om’s Shantipriya – Jhoomar. You can’t think of opulence and grandeur without thinking of chandeliers. Depending on the size of your venue and your budget, you can either spring for a proper decorator who goes the whole mile and gets you some glorious chandeliers or you can order smaller, cutesy ones off the internet and pepper your party venue with them

Vintage Cameras and Film Reels 

What screams movies louder than film reels and vintage cameras? Decorate your party space with retro cameras and film reels and see the awe on your guests’ faces. Pro Tip: You can have a small Polaroid/Vintage Camera booth where there are functioning cameras with film reels so that your guests can capture the fun moments of the night in real-time

Opulent Seating Arrangements

Think big red velvet shaadi-esque chairs and couches draped with rich-looking golden fabric. Your guests will feel like they’re attending a highbrow awards function

Film Projectors

A super unique idea – place vintage-looking film projectors across the party venue and have them play iconic scenes from classic Bollywood films and famous music videos

Vintage Bollywood Memorabilia

Decorate your party space with vinyl record players and vinyl records. One can also try sourcing some iconic magazine editions from back in the day and if that’s not possible then their headline-grabbing covers can be digitally displayed on tablets across the venue. Get black chairs decorated with the words ‘Director’, ‘Actor’ and ‘Actress’ on them as if your guests are on a movie set, along with displaying some dummy scripts of popular retro Bollywood films

All these tips and tricks are sure to make you the coolest party-thrower in town and we can bet that your friends will be clamouring to get invited to your next party!