Meet the designer duo who brought Padmavati to life

Costume designers for sanjay leela bhansali's upcoming magnum opus rimple and harpreet narula take us down their handcrafted journey - the one they embarked upon in an attempt to recreate the 14th century historical characters for the movie

Bollywood takes its costume dramas rather seriously. Sometimes taking the costumes alone way more seriously than the dramas. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's films attempt to be exceptions to that rule. The larger-than-life costumes not only complement the larger-than-life narrative, they tell a story of their own - a story of the robust heritage of Indian crafts and textiles. Recently, the trailer of his magnum opus Padmavati released and, in a matter of hours, left the glitterati as well as Twitterati spellbound. Back were the grand sets, colourful frames and drop-dead gorgeous characters. Only this time, stakes seem to be higher.
Drawing inspiration from the 16th century Awadhi poet Malik Muhammad Jayasi's epic poem Padmavat, the film is set in the early 14th century. In terms of timelines that is a huge leap, primarily because there is very little from that era that is etched in popular imagination. This void makes for a great creative pursuit, enabling an artist to fill it up with authenticity and aesthetic, in equal measure. Among several aspects of Padmavati that make it seem loyal to the social and cultural bearings of the 14th century are the costumes. Elaborate and intricate, each costume not only harks back to the prevalent crafts of that era, it also journeys with the characters themselves. Opulence may characterise each and every frame, but it is never mistaken for extravagance - a creative challenge Delhi-based designers Rimple and Harpreet Narula have lived up to in every scene.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known to pick designers outside the realm of mainstream costume designing (Anju Modi did the costumes for his last two cinematic outings Bajirao Mastani and Ram Leela, while, earlier, Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla along with Neeta Lulla had been roped in for his 2002 period drama Devdas). Bhansali's choices are informed by a desire to break away from clichés that generally populate costume dramas in Bollywood. What may have also worked to Rimple and Harpreet's advantage is the fact that they have worked closely with a number of royal families in India ("Jaipur, Baroda, Gonda, Rampur, among others," iterates Harpreet).


Rimple and Harpreet Narula
Rooted in traditional opulence, their work fitted the bill for a project as ambitious as Padmavati, even though understanding the social and cultural milieu of the 14th century was far from easy. The brief given to the designers was simple: "Mr Bhansali did not want us to have any cinema references in our work. He did not want those clichés. The film is set in 14th century, so, he wanted us to eliminate all contemporary influences. That's challenging because as designers, we are used to being constantly exposed to new trends," says Harpreet, adding that since Bhansali spends substantial amounts of time in pre-production, everyone is on the same page. "He works very hard on it. It took us four months to get the tone of the film right. Costumes, in his films, are essential to storytelling."
At the heart of the story are three principal characters - Queen Padmini (portrayed by Deepika Padukone), Rajput king Ratan Singh (essayed by Shahid Kapoor), and Emperor Alauddin Khilji (played by Ranveer Singh). Designing costumes for each of these characters set Rimple and Harpreet on a journey of their own - that of rediscovering some lost traditions and replicating them using modern methods. The duo travelled across the country to get clues. Murals, frescoes, wall-paintings - the smallest details provided them with important references.
Historically, Queen Padmini was a Sinhalese princess who married into the Rajputs. How has her transition from a Sinhalese princess to a Rajput queen been depicted in the film? The designers carefully measure their words; Deepika's Sinhalese look is yet to be out and Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known to be notoriously secretive about his films. Summing it up in a few words, Harpreet says it is more of a "beautiful, country girl look". "For the Sinhala look, we used a lot of organic cottons, malmals and handmade textures. The feel is very tropical because it's Sri Lanka."
Deepika's transformation to Queen Padmini is an important aspect of the film, and the duo left no stone unturned to get it right. Most of her outfits are laced with intricate gota and zari work. To get the look right, the duo handpicked these from special vendors and sourced special prints from artisans in Sanganer and Bagru in Rajasthan. Sharing interesting anecdotes about the history of these handicrafts, the duo says, "From a very young age, girls in Rajasthan would be taught to create handcrafted textiles, which would later become part of their dowry. By the time they'd get married, these girls would become skilled embroiderers." The culture flourished, making Rajasthan an important centre for embroidered crafts.
For some costumes, the designers specially commissioned artisans to create intricate designs that have ceased to exist. Dotted with these, the costumes are heavy, something not quite uncommon for a Bhansali film. "Today's generation is not used to wearing heavy garments. That's why it becomes an issue. However, as you read about the attire of that era in books or visit museums, you realise that the pieces the royals wore were actually that heavy. You count the number of kalis and multiply that with the stone embroidery on them, it becomes obvious that the outfit would've been heavy," says Rimple.
Harpreet agrees. "Today, most girls do not even know how to wear a sari. They'd rather ask a stylist or a professional sari draper to drape it for them. A costume drama is different, you need to work around the weight. Deepika, in that sense, was a pleasure to work with. Even if the garments were uncomfortable and the weight was too much, she would take the discomfort for the greater good of the film."

In their endeavour to stay away from clichés, Rimple and Harpreet have also ensured that the male characters are given distinct looks. Shahid Kapoor's character is a fine example. Ratan Singh embodies the valour and honour, which has traditionally been associated with Rajput royalty. For this character, the designers got several references from the Calico Museum in Gujarat. "It gave us an idea how outfits were embellished. We studied the dhotis, lungis and turbans. A lot of the embroidery and motif references came not only from old clothing samples but also vintage textiles that were depicted in old manuscripts, wall hangings etc," says Rimple. The headgear is also an integral part of the look, as is evident from the trailer. "Some of the courtly looks show Shahid in ornate turbans with gold leaf and foil printing. A lot of these have been replicated from vintage turbans at the Victoria and Albert Museum. All the turbans were draped in traditional Rajput style, and a specialist from Mewar, who currently works with several royals, was roped in for the same."
Recreating Alauddin Khilji might have been a little more challenging than what we'd imagine. The designers say that Bhansali's brief to them was to create outfits that were decidedly flamboyant so that there was an aura of power and brutality. "Royal costumes back in those days were regarded as symbols of power and stature among nomadic tribes. So, we decided to opt for elaborate patterning and embellishment on the shoulders and arms for Khilji," says Rimple.

The Delhi Sultanate of the 14th century was a vast empire. Add to it Khilji's Turkish origins and it becomes difficult to conjure a definitive visual that embodies the aura of a mighty ruler. "This actually helped us explore different motifs from the various regions Delhi Sultanate covered and imbibe them into Khilji's costumes. Different kinds of buttis, stylised paisleys as well as motifs derived from sacred geometry have been used along side more Turkish and Mongol elements," says Harpreet.
Revisiting history and bringing some of its iconic characters to life, Rimple and Harpreet learnt a few lessons of their own - chief among them being the need to preserve the crafts. Many indigenous textiles the duo attempted to recreate have ceased to exist due to the lack of a support structure. "Getting the right fabric was important. For instance, gota features prominently in Rajput clothing. Today, the gota you get, the yarn for it comes from China. As a result, the lustre is not the same. There have been so many different kinds of crafts that have simply vanished. There had been families that pursued them for the longest time, but the younger generations were forced to move away because there's no money in it. There are so many artisans who continue to live below the poverty line," says Harpreet. Till that happens, perhaps movies will be the only platforms where one will get to see, and fancy, Indian heritage.
anamika@khaleejtimes.com