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Actresses have been placing orders for sexy and revealing bulletproof clothing!

A bulletproof jacket manufacturer in Mumbai was faced with a strange request from five Bollywood actresses recently they wanted jackets, but ones that would reveal their assets!

safety first: Fashion BP jackets at Safexpo 2009, an exhibition on security gadgets at the Pune police headquarters. Pics/anil naik

Such requests, which turn the whole concept of bullet-proof clothing on its head, have apparently been on the rise recently.

"I stumbled on the new demand when a famous actress told me that she needed a bullet proof jacket, which could be worn like a top and which should reveal her cleavage. Since then, more orders have been coming my way from other actresses," said Rahul More, proprietor of magnaera.com, which supplies bulletproof jackets for defence personnel, police and other security agencies.

These ladies jackets, which he calls 'fashion bullet proof clothi- ng', have the capacity to stop a 9 mm bullet or a 44-magnum bullet. But it cannot stop bullets from assault rifles like AK 47 or AK 56. "But if ordered, I can even make one that can withstand assault rifles," he added.

Several Bollywood stars have gone in for designer bulletproof clothing like suits, blazers, Nehru suits, Jodhpuris, sherwanis, sports jackets, leather jackets, etc at a price ranging from Rs 70,000 to Rs 1.2 lakh. 

The level of protection ranges from the basic level IIIA, which offers protection from a revolver, to level IV, that can withstand armour-piercing bullets.  More did not reveal the names of the stars, on the grounds of client confidentiality and threat perceptions.

The Protection Branch of the Mumbai police provides armed constables to guard Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Himesh Reshammiya, choreographer Ahmed Khan, film producer Rajkumar Santoshi, and director brothers Feroze and Sajid Nadiadwala. Other celebrities like Dilip Kumar and Lata Mangeshkar also get round-the-clock security cover from the Special Protection Unit.

VOICES
A designer vest sounds interesting as long as the jacket protects your life. Earlier, bulletproof vehicles looked different from designer cars, but today, even bulletproof designer cars are available. Therefore the trend in fashion bulletproof jackets.    
- Ahmed Khan Choreographer (who received an extortion threat)

Only people who need it will wear it. Something that is durable, lightweight and not too bulky will definitely be a boon.
- Pooja Bedi, Actress