You probably know British actress Indira Varma from her roles as Ellaria Sand on Game of Thrones and Niobe on Rome. Her background (Indian, Swiss, and Italian) has allowed her to play a range of roles, and she always stands out to me in any production she’s in. And, this woman does not age! Let’s take a look at her frock flicks work!
Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996)
A story set in 16th century India, as a princess (Varma) vies with her servant for love. I watched this, but so many years ago that I remember nothing!
Gorgeous fabrics, but that’s par for the course for a movie set in India!
Ditto jewelry
I have zero idea how historically accurate any of this is, but it’s pretty!
That’s Naveen Andrews (The English Patient, Lost) as Varma’s abusive husband.
Jinnah (1998)
A biopic about the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah. Varma plays his wife in flashback scenes.
Crappy screencap!
A Waste of Shame: The Mystery of Shakespeare and His Sonnets (2005)
As Shakespeare’s “Dark Lady” in this film about the writing of his sonnets.
I still want Trystan or Sarah to watch this!
Rome (2005-07)
As the gorgeous wife of Roman officer Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd). Things get complicated when she thinks Vorenus is dead.
Keeping it casual.
This show has hair game ON POINT.
See what I mean?
With “husband” McKidd.
Comanche Moon (2008)
A TV miniseries prequel to Lonesome Dove. Varma plays “Therese Wanz.”
Is Varma one of the tiny women pictured on the DVD cover? I have no idea!
World Without End (2012)
A medieval miniseries (based on a Ken Follett book) — the sequel to The Pillars of the Earth — about a medieval English town during the start of the Hundred Years’ War and the outbreak of the Black Death.
The costumes in this look so much more “ethnic” than “medieval” to me.
Also, hairpin (and veil) shortage!
Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
Varma plays the high priestess in this Egyptian-set story of the biblical story of Moses.
This looks very modern to me, but what do I know?
Okay so the hair shape (and gold leaf) is super cool.
Shakespeare’s Globe: Titus Andronicus (2015)
As Tamora, Queen of the Goths. Okay, so this doesn’t actually look period, but I’m filling things out.
What’s with the plaid?
Carnival Row (2019)
As Piety Breakspear, “Absalom’s manipulative wife who seeks to enshrine her family’s legacy,” in this Victorian-ish noir fantasy TV series.
Okay you CANNOT GO WRONG with that shade of yellow/green for this era.
Some kind of sheer black embroidered overlayer?
I love how complicated her hairstyle is!
Which is your favorite of Indira Varma’s frock flick roles?
Point of order: In Kama Sutra, Varma plays the princess’s companion/servant who becomes a courtesan and ends up in a love triangle with the king and a hunky sculptor
The World without End: Apparently there was a hairpin shortage because they were all melted down to make metal grommets! Lol
Carnival Row. I haven’t seen most of the others/ I first saw her in “Leverage,” a series about a group of con artists who used their skills to help people who had been cheated. This is a theme that has been repeated in TV series going back to “The Rogues” with David Niven and Charles Boyer in the 50s.
Throckmortonk is right, that was the plot. I honestly loved the Kama Sutra movie, but for the eye candy more than anything. It was sometimes good with the costumes and often fantastical and meant to be sexy. If you want to see any of the main actors look beautiful and/or naked and covered in costume jewellery, go for it.
I know. Beautiful people, beautiful costumes. Honestly, I would have drunk wine out of Naveen Andrews’ shoe (seriously, does anybody remember the other actors in The English Patient?).
Varma also played John Luther’s (Idris Elba) in “Luther.” Sigh. Not a Frock Flick, I know.
Should I watch it for Naveen? Can’t say I have much interest in it otherwise, maybe for the clothes because they’re so influential.
Yes. He’s never been hotter, even though he’s the bad guy.
Oops, you meant the English Patient. Not even he can redeem that trash.
lol oh well. In Kama Sutra he was smoking hot, I have to agree.
Hotter than Kama Sutra???!!
Just watch Bride & Prejudice. Both are in it, both are hot, plus it’s frock flick-adjacent. (They’re the Bingley characters).
I’ve seen it, but that was ages ago, so maybe it’s time for a rewatch.
Ellaria Sand in Game of Thrones. Not historical costumes per se, but gorgeous fabrics!
Is that a pearl bikini? Is that even a thing in India??
There were no cotton prints in medieval england!!
High priestess of what? I’m not even sure Ancient Egypt had high priestess! And those costumes are unspeakable!!!
It’s meant to be a choli top composed entirely of pearls. Which probably isn’t a thing that actually existed, but it’s meant to be an example of how the king is descending into decadence and madness, so it works and doesn’t seem overly jarring in context.
It’s certainly pretty!
Ok, Kendra, you and I are opposites here…I saw Kama Sutra once years ago and it seared itself into my memory. Indira Varma is so beautiful she irritates me. She’s one of a handful of women who when I see them, I’m like “Why do I even bother?” Back to the filmography. Rome is one of my all-time favorite TV shows, so I have to go with that. I’ve seen her in several pieces, and I have to say that she has great taste in the projects she chooses to work on.
Re.: Rome. I don’t think long skintight sleeves were a thing and in that last image she’s wearing a Greek peplos not a stola. Also I believe togas were always white or rather off white.