Simple Kapadia
A gifted costume designer who translated a brief acting career into a National Award-winning vision for period drama.
1958–2009 (age 51)·Indian actress and costume designer·Birthday: August 15·Baby Boomers
Biography
Simple Kapadia’s story in Hindi cinema is one of graceful reinvention. The younger sister of star Dimple Kapadia, she stepped in front of the camera in the late 1970s, but her few leading roles failed to ignite a lasting acting career. It was behind the scenes where her true talent flourished. With a keen eye for texture, authenticity, and character, she transitioned into costume design. Her breakthrough came with the stark, rural aesthetic of 'Rudaali' (1993), for which she won the National Film Award, using fabric and form to powerfully convey the protagonist's resilience and sorrow. She became a sought-after designer for period films, most notably for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s opulent 'Devdas', where her elaborate saris and accessories defined an era. Working steadily until her early death, she carved a distinct and respected niche, dressing stories with a designer’s silent eloquence.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Simple was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Simple Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Simple's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2009Died at 51
Michael Jackson dies; Bitcoin created
Gas: $2.35/galHome: $148,500Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Boom Boom Pow" — The Black Eyed PeasBest Picture: The Hurt Locker
Key Achievements
- Won the National Film Award for Best Costume Design for the film 'Rudaali' in 1994.
- Was the chief costume designer for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's lavish period drama 'Devdas'.
- Designed costumes for over 30 Hindi films throughout the 1990s and 2000s.
- Successfully transitioned from a brief career as a film actress to a highly respected role behind the camera.
Did You Know?
She was the younger sister of the famous actress Dimple Kapadia.
Her first acting role was in the 1979 film 'Surakshaa', which also starred her sister.
She designed costumes for several films starring her niece, actress Twinkle Khanna.
She passed away from cancer in 2009 at the age of 51.
“A costume must reveal the character, not just cover the actor.”
