A grab from Mithya, the Hindi film for which the designer won acclaim and (right) Darshan Jalan.

Ranchi, Feb. 21: Very few people are aware that Bollywood actress Neha Dhupia’s costumes in the currently screened movie Mithya are designed on the lines of those owned by Hollywood siren Marilyn Monroe.

The credit goes to the city-bred costume designer, Darshan Jalan.

Jalan (30), based in Mumbai at present, has won wide appreciation for designing clothes for the entire cast of Mithya, starring Neha Dhupia and Naseeruddin Shah and being screened in the city’s first multiplex Eylex.

While dressing up Naseeruddin Shah, Jalan tried to lend him a stylish outlook.

“I designed Shah’s costumes in black as the script of the movie demanded. I had to design clothes to give him a distinctive look of a gangster, who wears gold pendants,” Jalan told The Telegraph over the telephone from Mumbai.

Elaborating on Neha Dhupia’s costumes, Jalan said: “She had to flaunt an overdressed look, which had to be done in Hollywood actress Marilyn Monroe’s style.”

This city lad is not sitting on his laurels, but a host of other promising film projects are lined up for him like Syed Akhtar Mirza’s Mahanagar and also for an untitled film to be directed by an NRI director.

Jalan said that he loves designing costumes for bother art and commercial movies instead of sticking only to big budget commercial masala flicks.

“Whatever projects I have received so far are all for simple movies minus the glamour. The costume are decided upon and designed after we go through the entire script of the films. Then we analyse the type of costume which a partic- ular actor and actress would be wearing in the film,” Jalan added.

While divulging details about his journey in Bollywood, Jalan said that he landed his first project for Mathrubhoomi, starring Tulip Joshi, Sushant and Sudhir Pandey.

“There has been no looking back for me ever since and my work received due recognition all along,” he reminisced.

Before venturing into mainstream films, Jalan had designed costumes for Sufi singer Kailash Kher’s video albums and Shah Rukh Khan’s Compaq advertisement.

When asked about his days in Ranchi, Jalan gets nostalgic.

“I studied till Class II at St Mary’s School before moving out to Gwalior for studies. I keep coming back to the city since I share a special bond that has developed all the more over the years.”

Jalan completed a costume designing course from National Institute of Fashion Technology, Mumbai, soon after passing his Class XII from Scindia School, Gwalior, scoring the highest marks in fine arts.

Back home, his parents, Usha Jalan and R.P. Jalan, residents of Lake Avenue, are no doubt proud of their son’s soaring careergraph.

“Initially, Darshan was supposed to take up an engineering course as he had already qualified for the examination at BIT, Mesra. But he decided not take admission as his heart was in fine arts and the streak in him was evident from childhood,” the duo said.