Piyush Goyal, Kiren Rijiju Go Retro: AI 80s Photo Trend Takes Social Media By Storm

A wave of nostalgia is taking over social media as people use artificial intelligence to imagine themselves in the 1980s. The popular photo-editing trend going viral has seen users turn ordinary selfies into retro portraits that look as though they were pulled straight from an old family album or Bollywood studio shoot. The trend, often referred to as the ChatGPT 80s photo trend, has now moved beyond influencers and celebrities. Indian politicians have also joined in, sharing AI-generated images that recreate the fashion, hairstyles and photography styles associated with the decade.

Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal was among the political figures to embrace the trend. Sharing an AI-generated image, Goyal captioned it, "Vibing to the 80s trend."

In the picture, Goyal appears in a tailored grey suit, white shirt and aviator sunglasses. The image has been given a distinctly vintage treatment, with sepia tones, film grain and a faded texture that makes it resemble an old studio portrait. 

Vibing to the 80s trend 😎 pic.twitter.com/nvzhrMDg1T

— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) September 8, 2026

Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju also jumped on the trend, sharing his own retro-inspired image on X. His picture shows him in sunglasses, a blazer and an open shirt, posing beside a car. Rijiju accompanied the image with a tongue-in-cheek caption about the sudden return of 1980s nostalgia. "Why is everyone going back to the 80s vibes? I'm also forced to 80s nostalgia," he wrote.

Why is everyone going back to the 80s vibes? I'm also forced to 80s nostalgia ! pic.twitter.com/iJIg8JmZOz

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) September 9, 2026

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma joined the viral trend too, sharing an AI-generated throwback image. He wrote, "Getting to any trend which has nostalgia attached to it. Back to the 80s eh!."

Getting to any trend which has nostalgia attached to it 😁

Back to the 80s eh! pic.twitter.com/5pxFPHYscU

— Himanta Biswa Sarma (@himantabiswa) September 9, 2026

How the AI 80s photo trend works

The concept is relatively simple. Instead of merely adding a vintage filter to an existing photograph, users ask an AI image-generation tool to recreate their appearance as though the picture had been taken in the 1980s.

Prompts can instruct the AI to retain a person's recognisable facial features while changing their clothes, hairstyle, accessories, pose, surroundings and lighting. The resulting image can be styled as an old family photograph, Bollywood publicity still, magazine portrait, wedding picture or classic studio photograph.

For an Indian 1980s aesthetic, users often opt for elements such as colourful sarees, statement jewellery, voluminous hairstyles, moustaches, wide-collared shirts, high-waisted trousers and retro sunglasses. Vintage studio backdrops, warm lighting, soft focus, faded colours and analogue-style film grain are also commonly used to make the images appear more authentic.

Many of the photographs draw inspiration from 1980s Bollywood, when dramatic poses, elaborate costumes, bold hairstyles and studio photography were a major part of popular visual culture.