An advertisement keeps popping up on Facebook and Instagram urging me to buy colourful ‘Original Madras Checks’ shirts. I admit I am tempted. But it also reminds me of something far rarer: the legendary ‘Bleeding Madras’ shirts that were all the rage in the 1960s. Somewhere in my wardrobe hangs one of the last surviving examples.
I acquired it quite by accident from my friend, Capt. Krishnan Nair, the retired army man who gave us the Leela Group of Hotels. One morning after breakfast at his Kerala-style mansion on the hotel premises, he took me on a stroll through its beautifully manicured gardens. Suddenly, the lawn sprinklers sprang to life and drenched us both.
After being ambushed by the rebellious sprinklers, Capt. Nair could change into dry clothes at home. I, however, had no such luxury. With a smile, he disappeared briefly and returned with a shirt from the last remaining stock of his famous ‘Bleeding Madras’ collection. Later, over a cup of filter coffee, he told me the remarkable story behind it.
Before entering the hotel business, Capt. Nair ran a textile export empire and helped introduce traditional Madras handloom fabric to the US in the 1950s. Woven with vegetable dyes, the brightly coloured checks had one unusual characteristic: the colours ran like mad when washed. What began as a manufacturing mishap became a fashion sensation.
When American customers complained to the retailer that their expensive shirts faded and changed appearance after every wash, advertising genius David Ogilvy turned the flaw into a selling point. The shirts were marketed as “Guaranteed to Bleed” and soon became a cult phenomenon. Every shirt aged differently, making each one unique.
The fad eventually faded, but my shirt remains. An airy and whisper-light, vibrant, sun-drenched Madras plaid in which rich indigo, warm saffron, neon blue, and earthy red have bled into one another after every wash like a watercolour painting. So I am curious: does anybody else here own a genuine ‘Bleeding Madras’ shirt? Or remember wearing one?
About Mark Manuel
The above thoughts/content has been proudly copied from the wall of Sir Mark Manuel. Being interviewing almost every role model of this country and going stronger each day. Mark Manuel is a respected Mumbai editor, writer, and columnist.
With over three decades of journalism in leading publications. This includes the Free Press Journal, Times, Dainik Bhaskar, Mid-Day, and Afternoon. He is famous for his brilliant pen interviews. He himself is a TEDx speaker.
Further
His interviews have featured in several leading media houses. They include the Hindustan Times, Huffington Post, BBC, and Network 18. Almost every famous person has been interviewed by him in the country from Mother Teresa to Muhammad Ali. His first book is just out. It’s titled Moryaa Re! It is a crime thriller that is perhaps the country’s first police procedural. He began his career covering crime. And in a tribute to his experience and knowledge of this beat.
Several distinguished officers of the Mumbai Police and its Crime Branch collaborated with him to make this book possible. Amitabh Bachchan wrote the forward in a statement of friendship for Mark Manuel and admiration for his work.
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