Chennai: A new ‘80s photo’ trend has taken over Instagram, drawing in not only everyday users but also well-known actors, actresses and other public figures.
With rapid advances in AI tools, creating realistic-looking visuals of different eras has become easier for social media users. Recently, AI-generated “Ghibli-style” animated images went viral as people shared stylised versions of their photos online.
Now, the focus has shifted to recreating the 1980s. Users are generating images that resemble old film characters, family photo albums and vintage studio portraits—complete with period-appropriate shirts, bell-bottoms, moustaches and hairstyles.
Several celebrities have joined the trend, including actresses Preethi Mukundan, Anupama Parameswaran, Madonna Sebastian, Aishwarya Rajesh and Manjima Mohan, along with actor Ashok Selvan. The Chennai Super Kings (CSK) have also participated by sharing retro-themed edits of their players.
The trend is being widely shared worldwide through Instagram’s “Add Yours” sticker, helping the vintage-style images spread quickly across feeds.
