Even as it continues to play in cinemas more than two months after release, Dhurandhar has also notched high ratings with its recent release on OTT. Among many other aspects of the film that remain in conversation is the look of its characters, with costume designer Smriti Chauhan having a big role to play. A t2 chat with Smriti.
What kind of feedback has come your way for the costumes in Dhurandhar?
I am still soaking it all in. The film was shot against huge odds. There was very little publicity that was done before release and all the feedback that has come in has been organic. I am grateful to the makers who hired me for the job and to the actors for trusting me.
For my costumes, both Ranveer (Singh) and Aditya sir (Aditya Dhar, director) had very kind words to share. I was taken on board by Aditya sir without making any pitch. I did have a body of work, of course, and a certain language and craft as part of my skill set. But to have this kind of trust on me for such a huge project was overwhelming. Aditya sir told me that he goes by instinct and that is what made him rely on me for the costumes. He told me: “You are my chhota packet, bada dhamaka!” (Laughs) Ranveer sent me a very beautiful message saying how much my clothes impacted the film and made it look the way it does on screen. He said that it brings about a shift in terms of how costumes are done in our cinema, as well as contributes to the visual appeal of Dhurandhar as a whole. These words are always going to stay with me.
That apart, I have had many filmmakers telling me that the clothes have become an indelible and integral part of the film. There is a shift in people’s perception towards me and my work. What has touched me is how much the audience is noticing the costumes in Dhurandhar, especially given the fact that it is a film where there is so much else that is worthy of attention. In so many instances, the costumes are not noticed even though the work that we do is such an integral part in the process of making a film. Seldom have we got our due unless it has been a period film or a costume-heavy film. With Dhurandhar, the costumes played a big part, so much so that the term ‘aura farming’ was used extensively for Akshaye Khanna’s swag and style in the film. My heart is full, I am living my dream.
Which are the looks from Dhurandhar that have arrested the most attention?
The one that has really gone viral is Akshaye Khanna in black dancing (to Flipperachi) when he goes to Balochistan. The idea for his look was that it should stand out against the topography of the region, and that is what has happened. For that sequence, based on a lot of research, we used muted mid-tones but also a good splash of colours, which otherwise you will not see in the rest of the film. The dancers are in white and Rehman (Dakait, played by Akshaye) is in black and that is very striking on screen. I didn’t want to put any other colour on him because that would make the frame very messy.
There is another look of Akshaye’s that viewers are talking about — the one where he wears a sleeveless black koti over a black Pathani and sports a pocket square with three stars on it. I have received Instagram messages — even from places like the Philippines — where people have asked me where they can get something similar made!
In the case of Ranveer, the maroon Pathani look got a lot of eyeballs. I chose that colour from the Pantone shade card. Hamza’s (Ranveer) wedding outfit, with the embellished turban and the long necklace, has been a part of many conversations. Sara Arjun’s looks as Yalina — young, sprightly, free flowing — have also been highly spoken of.
What can we expect from Dhurandhar: The Revenge that is out next month?
Dhurandhar ends on a cliffhanger and as the final moments of the film showed, there will be a lot of focus on the back story in Part 2. That will also reflect in the costumes. We will be seeing what is going to happen next and also what happened before. There is a lot of journey left because the diary (belonging to Hamza/Jaskirat) has a lot more things which need to be struck off. So, even in terms of looks, there is a growth in every character. There will be an interesting shift in the costumes as well.
Which other project has given you as much of a creative high as Dhurandhar?
Tumbbad did that for me, as well as Season 1 of Delhi Crime. Tumbbad came to me when I had no experience of working in a period film. It required me to deliver the kind of work I hadn’t done before. I had to work within the period of 1918 to 1948 and that was both interesting and complex. It provided me a plain canvas to paint on and let my imagination fly. The kind of distressing that we did, the kind of ageing and breaking down of the garments that went in as well as the design part of it — textures, palette — was a big learning experience.
Delhi Crime Season 1 dealt with a tough subject (the 2012 Delhi gangrape case). Everyone working on the project was tied together with a certain sincerity because we all wanted to ensure that the story was being told the right way. We had just 12 days to prep, and it was being independently produced, with all hands on deck. But everyone went in with the mindset that we needed to tell this story. We were all very emotionally involved. It is one of the most gut churning projects I have ever done.
I wanted the costumes on that show to blend in and not stand out, and yet people noticed. I worked closely with the hair and makeup team to come up with the overall look of each character, right down to the dirt on the nails, the sunken cheekbones, the protruding collarbones.... A lot of people think that a uniform is the easiest thing to design. But it is one of the most difficult things to do because in terms of design, you are restricted and you also have to dress a certain body type.
What go you interested in designing clothes for films?
I come from a family that loves watching all kinds of cinema. I grew up in the Doordarshan era where Sunday afternoons were all about watching regional Indian films. My love for cinema was pretty much ingrained and I wanted to be part of the process of filmmaking in some form. I joined the film industry after my gigs in the corporate world and in television. I landed up being an AD (assistant director) in a film directed by actor Saurabh Shukla, followed by another film. I met an amazing bunch of people who made me realise I had an eye for costumes and since I was working on a period film, I pitched in with inputs in terms of the looks. I was told I should take it up seriously and that is what I did.
I have no academic training in costume design, I have learnt everything on the job. But I came in with some knowledge and ability because when I was young, I would stitch clothes at home with my mom and grandmother. My foundation was laid there in terms of pattern making and stitching.
There is, of course, a long way to go, but how far have you seen an increase in the importance and respect given to costume designing over the last few years in Indian cinema?
A lot has certainly improved. A lot of recognition has come our way. Social media has big role to play in it. But the worry is not about the world outside the fraternity... it is about those within the industry. In a family, if you don’t recognise the talent of your own child, how do you expect others to acknowledge it? The fraternity needs to realise how important a role costume design plays in a film. We still have a long way to go on that front.
It is important for one to also recognise the difference between a designer and a stylist. A stylist’s job is aesthetically driven, but we designers do not have the luxury of aesthetics. We have to do our job by sticking to the story that the director wants to tell in a certain way. He may want a paanwala to look quirky, but that is his vision and I have to fit my clothes into that. Designers work in the service of the story, while stylists service an individual with his or her individual style.
Also, we have no colleges or universities that teach costume design as a course. It is only now that people are reaching out to me and asking me if I would like to go to a college and give a lecture on costume design. However small, at least something like this has started. I hope it will improve further, but it is a tough fight and I hope we can create a platform for the future generations to want to get into this profession seriously.