Anupama Parameswaran and Kalyani Priyadarsh’s in 1980s viral AI trend
What if your favourite photo of yourself had been taken in 1985 instead of 2026?That’s the question behind one of Instagram’s latest photo trends, and people are having quite a bit of fun with it. Instead of posting another selfie or simply adding a grainy filter, users are uploading their photos to ChatGPT and asking it to imagine how the same picture might have looked in the 1980s.The result? Modern photographs are being turned into old-school portraits, family album pictures, Bollywood-style photographs and even magazine shoots.And because the prompt can be changed, there’s plenty of room to play around.The trend is also showing up on Instagram Stories, where people are sharing their AI-generated versions and using the “Add Yours” sticker to get friends to make their own. So one person’s retro portrait quickly turns into a whole chain of 1980s versions.The appeal is pretty simple. For a moment, you get to see yourself as the person you might have been in another decade.
It’s not just about adding a vintage filter
There’s a reason these pictures can look so different from the usual retro edits.A filter can add some grain, change the colour of a photograph and make it look older. Here, the entire look can be reimagined.You can ask for a particular hairstyle, outfit, jewellery, background and even the kind of camera effect you want. Want to look like you’ve just stepped out of an old Bollywood studio portrait? You can. Want something that looks like it came from your parents’ wedding album? That works too.And Indian styling makes the trend even more fun.Think big, voluminous hair, colourful saris and statement jewellery. For men, it could mean tucked-in shirts, high-waisted trousers, classic hairstyles and a moustache, depending on the look.You can even take it outside the studio. Ask for an Indian street scene from the late 1980s and the image can be built around the cars, signboards, clothes and surroundings of that period.
How to create your own 1980s photo
There isn’t much to it.Upload a photograph to ChatGPT and explain that you want it recreated as though it was taken in the 1980s. Then tell it what sort of picture you want.Be specific if you have something particular in mind. Mention the clothes, hairstyle, jewellery, location, lighting and mood. You can also tell ChatGPT whether you want an old family photograph, Bollywood portrait, magazine shoot or something more everyday.And if you don’t want the AI changing your face too much, say that clearly. Ask it to keep your facial features and identity recognisable.Once you’ve got a version you like, post it on Instagram Stories, add the “Add Yours” sticker and let everyone else have a go.
1980s ChatGPT prompts to try
Classic Bollywood portraitTurn this photo into a realistic 1980s Bollywood studio portrait. Keep my face and facial features recognisable. Give me authentic 1980s Indian clothes, hair and accessories. Use warm studio lighting, soft focus and a little natural film grain. Keep the colours realistic, like a photograph taken on an analogue camera at the time. I don’t want a modern photo with a vintage filter. Don’t change my facial structure or make me look like a different person.Old family albumMake this photograph look as though it was taken in an Indian family album in the mid-1980s. Keep my face, expression and identity natural. Change the clothes, hairstyle, accessories and background to fit the period. Keep the setting simple and believable, like an ordinary family photograph. Add soft lighting, natural film colours and slight grain. It should look like a real old photograph, not an over-edited vintage picture.1980s Bollywood heroineTurn this photo into a glamorous 1980s Bollywood heroine portrait. Keep my face recognisable and natural. Give me big, voluminous 1980s hair, a colourful sari and statement jewellery. Put me in a classic Indian studio setting with warm lighting and soft focus. Add subtle analogue film grain and realistic colours. Make it look like an actual Bollywood publicity photograph from the 1980s. Don’t change my facial structure.1980s Bollywood heroRecreate this photo as an authentic 1980s Bollywood hero portrait. Keep my face and identity unchanged. Give me a period-appropriate hairstyle, a moustache if it suits the look, a tucked-in or slightly loose shirt and high-waisted trousers. Use a classic studio backdrop, warm lighting and slightly faded film colours. Add natural film grain. Make it look like a genuine photograph from an Indian film shoot in the 1980s.1980s Indian weddingImagine this photograph was taken at an Indian wedding in the 1980s. Keep everyone’s faces recognisable. Change the clothes, hairstyles, jewellery, decorations, background and lighting to match an Indian wedding from that decade. Give it the look of a real family photograph taken on film, with natural colours, slight grain and the small imperfections you would expect from an old camera. Don’t make it overly faded or sepia.1980s magazine portraitTurn this photo into an Indian magazine portrait from the 1980s. Keep my face recognisable and realistic. Give me period-appropriate hair, clothes, jewellery and makeup. Use a simple studio background with soft but slightly dramatic lighting. Add subtle film grain and soft focus, like an old magazine photograph. Keep it believable and avoid making it look like a modern picture with a retro effect.Doordarshan-era portraitRecreate this photo as though it were photographed for an Indian television programme during the 1980s. Keep my face and identity recognisable. Use authentic 1980s Indian clothing, hairstyle and styling. Keep the background simple, with warm lighting and subtle analogue film grain. Use realistic colours and make the picture feel like it genuinely belongs to the Doordarshan era.Indian street photograph, 1987Imagine this photo was taken on an Indian street in 1987. Keep my face and identity recognisable. Change the surroundings, clothes, hairstyle, vehicles, signs and other details so they look believable for India in the late 1980s. Use natural daylight and realistic colours, with the grain and texture of a photograph taken on film. Don’t add modern objects or make the picture look artificially aged. It should feel like someone actually took this photograph in 1987.So, if your Instagram feed suddenly starts filling up with people who look like they’ve travelled back four decades, now you know what’s going on. And yes, you can try it with your own favourite photograph too.