Metiabruz karigars try to beat the Puja deadline; (below) a design inspired by a Bipasha Basu outfit in Bachna Ae Haseeno. Pictures by Sanjoy Chattopadhyaya and Talat Salahuddin

Om Shanti Om and Bachna Ae Haseeno will rule the fashion scene at Puja pandals this year, if the orders piling up with tailors at Metiabruz are anything to go by. The largest wholesale garment hub of eastern India is burning the proverbial midnight oil to meet last-minute orders pouring in from retail shops across the city.

Puja spells a whopping Rs 2,000 crore business for the wholesalers here, who supply to shops in New Market, the rehabilitated hawkers in Maidan, Gariahat, Behala, Hatibagan and other places. Besides feeding markets in Calcutta and the districts, Metiabruz also caters to markets in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Preparation for Puja starts from May. “It is big business for us during Puja and ostagars (master tailors) work 18 hours a day,” said Gora, a manufacturer of children’s garments in Metiabruz.

If Bollywood is the boost, Nandigram is the bummer. For Metiabruz has been reeling under the ripples from far-off Nandigram. Whether its Deepika Padukone’s tight mid-length kurtis of Om Shanti Om (OSO) or Bipasha Basu’s elbow length T-shirts in Bachna Ae Haseeno, the emphasis is on the embroidery on the sleeves, cuffs or necklines. And Metiabruz is facing a serious shortage of skilled karigars, most of who come from the Nandigram belt of Midnapore.

“We have been affected in terms of both quantity and quality because of the unrest in Nandigram. Irregular attendance of the karigars has made it difficult for us to maintain schedule. Even when the karigars reported for work, they could not concentrate,” said Raja Mollah, a wholesale garment manufacturer.

Hussain Ali Khan, an ostagar from Nandigram, explained why: “I suffered serious back injuries when I was fleeing home during the unrest in Nandigram. I could not come to work for two months. Even now, I cannot work for long stretches.” There are others who have lost business because of the unrest.

Abdus Samad, a cutter who took orders from Metiabruz, said from his home in Nandigram: “I lost orders during the long period of agitation as I couldn’t deliver the Metiabruz orders on time. I haven’t been able to get further orders from Metiabruz.” Sheikh Jasjeet, an ostagar, whose family lives in Nandigram, has chosen work over home and shifted to Metiabruz. “It’s not possible to commute regularly so I decided to shift here. But I am constantly worried about my family back home.”

Nandigram or no Nandigram, Puja is round the corner and the narrow alleys of Metiabruz are as busy as ever. Last year’s midriff-revealing fashion has been replaced by elbow-length T-shirts with buttons on sleeves and tight fitting mid-length kurtis without side cuts.

“Tunic fitting has come back again and Deepika’s tight-fitting kurtis and churidar in OSO are expected to do good business this year,” said a salesperson at Pantaloons. “Youngsters are crazy about Patiala salwars and churidars with midi-kameez. The preferred materials are crush, kota or a cocktail of both,” she added.

Metiabruz designers are busy copying these hit costumes of Deepika and Bipasha from the two Bolly blockbusters for their Id and Puja collections.

The Bengali middle-class has started shedding orthodoxy and inhibition with festive fervour, said Sheikh Manwarul Haque, a Metiabruz designer. This has helped designers here to embrace more of Bollywood fashion and go for bolder cuts and designs.

The trend, pointed out Haque, this year is a fusion of eastern and western wear. And the preferences are for dresses with light pleats decorated with embroidery or coloured fabrics. Among the teens, Lycra-based thigh-length tight fitting T-shirts with funky belts and dark-shaded glittering jeans are hot favourites.

So, gear up for another filmy festive season, thanks to Metiabruz.