She is a legendary character but Padmavati has been in the news recently — and not just in a good way. The Deepika Padukone-Ranveer Singh film’s director Sanjay Leela Bhansali was just days ago assaulted and the sets vandalised. For Rimple Narula, the film’s costume designer this was a “sad” event and has slightly set them back.
“It is condemnable that anyone could do this to a creative person like [Bhansali], who has given us some of world’s best cinema, directed an opera in Paris [Padmavati]... My heart goes out to him,” said Narula, who designs together with her husband Harpreet. The duo will be returning to the SoPritti exhibition to Dubai this Saturday.
“We have just done two schedules and, unfortunately, our second schedule was vandalised. We have to work one schedule in advance so I would say we are halfway,” Narula said about the collection which they’ve been working on for more than six months. The vandalising has set them back “only slightly” and it won’t stop the shoot, she says. “But, yes, Sanjay sir is much shaken”.
To some extent the film’s costumes are based on their last collection, Hiraeth, which they will showcase at SoPritti, but as “a more practical, comfortable, easy-breezy extension of the bridal collection”.
“I’ve seen a lot of long-time Indian residents in Dubai travel for destination weddings. So we are trying to bring lightweight couture which is easy to carry and easy to wear.”
On the eve of the exhibition, Narula spoke to Gulf News tabloid! about how “exciting” it was to work with filmmaker like Sanjay Leela Bhansali and what went into the creation of Padmavati’s costumes.
How did you become involved with Padmavati, especially after Anju Modi designed for Bhansali’s last blockbuster Bajirao Mastani?
Sanjay sir and we met in Mumbai and we showed him some of our heirloom pieces, antique textiles that we’ve collected over time during our travels — both Harpreet and I are avid travellers — and which are very close to our heart. Luckily we were on the same platform because [we were aware] what he expected of us and the challenges we could face while designing for this particular movie set in the 12-13th century. Actually nothing much has been recorded or curated [of designs from that time]. But I had things to fall back on, like, our first couture collection was very nomadic, Afghan-inspired and it fit very well for the [characters of Khilji’s regime]. Our second collection was called Maharaja & Co for which we had to visit almost all the museums in the country, such as the Calico Museum, the Jaipur Museum — we even went to Hermitage in Petersburg — and luckily that fit in with the designs for Raja Ratan Singh [Shahid Kapoor] and Padmavati [Deepika Padukone]. So over the years whatever we have done and showcased on the ramp is what caught Sanjay Sir’s eye and he believed the two of us could deliver what he was looking for.
So there were no real challenges in doing the collection?
Oh no, there have been so many challenges. We’ve pushed the envelope so much, that now only when you see the clothes on the big screen can you decide. Allaudin Khilji [Ranveer Singh] and his wife Mehru [Aditi Rao Hydari] were the two most challenging characters because they were beyond anything we had done. It was with Sanjay’s push I think we’ve done something we’ve never done before.
As this was your first collection for a film, how was it doing a couture collection?
With a couture collection you have the liberty to speak various languages and showcase what you like. With a film there is definitely a restriction [as you are designing for] a character. Costumes, as I always say, have a vital role to play in period dramas. They are also “heroes” on their own way because they take the narrative forward in a film. In a period film like this, it is actually the set and costumes that take you to that era. So we have to be very careful and it’s very challenging as they play a huge part to etch each character.
You say the costumes are heroes — how do they “emote”?
We create a proper colour scheme and a mood board with every scene. Like the sad colours would be chocolate, navy blue, dark and sombre colours. We studied how Rajasthan royalty used to react. For example, the royal women would never wear black, and we haven’t used black in the entire movie. It is for the nomads and the snake charmers. [At that time] the royals were very particular about the colours — they had one for Diwali, for Holi — so I’ve used a riot of oranges and saffron, of lehariya [a tie-and-dye technique] and various other themes which is all reminiscent of Rajasthan. Allaudin’s character is slightly darker. So, here you will see how I have mixed textures… I’d love to tell you more but I really can’t.
You refer to yourself being the designer in the Harpreet & Rimple Narula equation. Is Harpreet then the business head?
It works hand-in-hand. It would be wrong if I said I was only one who is creative and he isn’t. I always feel he is the more creative one but I’m his gateway to the real world. I’m the connectivity between his surreal and real world. He travels to La La Land too often and I bring him back.
Don’t miss it
SoPritti will be held at the Al Yasat Ballroom, Roda Hotel Al Murooj, opposite Dubai Mall, on Saturday, February 4. The event will showcase new collections in fashion, jewellery and accessories by Indian and Pakistani designers, including, Bhairavi Jaikishan, Shyamal and Bhumika, The Rack by Kachin’s showcasing Anamika Khanna, and Gaurav Gupta apart from the Narulas. Jewellery designer Queenie Singh will present her stones and pearls collection Estaa. The exhibition will be held from 10am to 8pm.
