MUMBAI: Actor Pankaj Tripathi, who is all set to play a yesteryears' superstar in the upcoming film Shakeela, says the era of superstars started to fade after the nineties.

"The nineties heroes truly were superstars. The era of superstars started fading away after that. These heroes have been heroes not just on screen but off screen, too. Every element of their personality -- even their wardrobe -- became statements," Pankaj told IANS.

Pankaj plays a quintessential South Indian cinema superstar. As a key part to achieve this character, considerable thought went into matching the wardrobe and style of heroes of that decade. Flashy gold accessories, bright colours and prints is what embodies his look, which will remind many of iconic heroes.

"The fashion of that time was so peculiar, much like any other decade. That's what we want to embody on screen. I thoroughly enjoyed the process to get into this look, wearing flashy flamboyant clothes -- a far off thing from a lot of the other work I have done," he said about his role in Shakeela, which stars Richa Chaddha in the title role, and is scheduled to release on December 25 in theatres.