Styles of yore, once more

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There’s something fascinating about the past. It makes you nostalgic and opens a box full of memories. Celluloid seems to have become the perfect place to showcase the bygone era with many period films being made in recent times. So, if in recent weeks, Lootera and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag capture the zamindari era of Bengal in the 1950s and the life of sprinter Milkha Singh over many years since 1935, in the coming months, there would be movies like Once Upon A Time In Mumbai Dobaara set in Mumbai and Gunday set in the Kolkata of 80s, Bombay Velvet features Mumbai of the 50s and 60s, and Dibakar Bannerjee’s detective film based on the famous fictional character Byomkesh Bakshi would recreate Kolkata of the 40s.
While these movies seem to be pushing the boundaries for Hindi cinema, they are also creating a new space for costume designers who are discovering a whole new world of fashion through these movies. And it’s not an easy task, especially in a country where fashion has never been recorded in a cohesive way. Costume designers are not complaining, as they are rediscovering everything on their own and it is a fun ride for them.
Fashion designer Kunal Rawal, who moved to movies from mainstream fashion only two years ago and is currently working on Once Upon…, says that such films have opened several opportunities. Some of his well-wishers thought this move was not a wise decision, as films restrict a person. “But I have discovered a whole new world, especially while working for period films like Teri Meri Kahaani and Once Upon… You have to understanding the director’s perspective about the storyline, character and then understand the time and area where the characters exist to create their look,” says Kunal, who found it really exciting to give Imran Khan the look of a “Dongri ka Chapri” and Akshay Kumar, a bold and strong gangster living a lavish life.
To stand true to the time that is being recreated, Kunal has brought back jaali ganji for Imran’s character. His look has been accessorised with things like belts with big buckle that was very popular in the 80s. “I had to go and search the roadside markets, warehouses and junk houses of Dadar, Chandi Road, etc where the hawkers are in a kind of time warp,” he says.
Subarna Roy Chaudhuri is working in a similar fashion to give her actors from Gunday the most suitable look. “The actors have been given a look close to Amitabh Bachchan and Dharmendra of 70s and 80s, while Priyanka’s (Chopra) character is a sexy Bengali girl of that time, who wears small sleeveless blouses with silk saris,” says Chaudhuri, who also created costumes for Lootera.
She says designing for period films requires a lot of research. She watched almost 300 classical songs, went to meet Nandini Mahtab who belongs to Vardhman’s Rajbari, flipped through their old photo albums and visited some very old shops to get an idea about the fashion in that time. “The legwork requires a lot of effort. But at the end, it’s an enriching experience,” she adds.
Agrees Ameira Punvani, who too went back in time to design for films like Guru and David. When Ameira was briefed about Guru, she went to meet many Gujarati families, borrowed their albums with old pictures, spoke to old people who had lived through those times and then created the costumes.
“You have to be careful about minute details, like a tie-pin which is almost non-existent now, but made a big fashion statement in those times. You have to be careful that while re-creating the look from a bygone era, you don’t end up making your character look like a buffoon,” says Ameira, and adds that her aim was not just to create an era but create it in a way that people from the present generation can relate to it.