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Inspired by old miniature paintings and murals, Rimple and Harpreet Narula’s creations are a representation of what Indian heritage has to offer to fashion. Given the majestic nature of their elaborate ensembles, it’s no surprise why they’ve become Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s favorite designers. They are the brains behind the sumptuous costumes of Rani Padmavati (Deepika Padukone), Alauddin Hiji (Ranveer Singh) and Maharawal Ratan Singh (Shahid Kapoor) in Padmaavat. You have to dress up two different eras in Housefull 4 additionally challenged them to dress Kriti Sanon, Pooja Hegde and Kriti Kharbanda in heavily embroidered lehengas as the film went back in time. They recently received praise for dressing Tabu’s twin avatars in Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2. In a fascinating interview, the designer duo discusses their journey and decodes the process they follow to create their unique ensembles.
From designing Couture to designing costumes for blockbuster movies, you have tasted success in every field…
Edge: We are thoroughly enjoying our journey into the realm of Bollywood costume design. Working and interacting with some of the most creative individuals of our generation has been an enriching experience. To be able to make costumes that help drive the film’s narrative and bring the director’s vision to life, to be a part of the film’s success in our own way, is a satisfying feeling.
How would you differentiate between the two genres when you are designing for a period drama like Padmaavat and then doing a horror comedy like Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2?
Harpreet: With Padmaavat, we designed costumes for four historical figures. We were dealing with characters from four different provinces: Padmavati, who was a Sinhalese princess turned Rajput queen; Ratan Singh, who was a Rajput king, Hiji, who had Mongolian/Afghan ancestry; and Mehrunisa, who is a tribal Ottoman princess. Therefore, we had to do intensive research to select the right suits. We made regular trips to the Jaipur and Calico museums and read documented accounts of travelers from the 15th to 17th centuries. I have also read various books about this era. The fabrics and color palette we used were earthy and organic, mixed with luxe kitsch elements. Given the diverse origins of these characters, we were given the opportunity to work with an eclectic range of references: Mughal and pre-Mughal costumes; tribal clothing from Kazakhstan and Turkey; and military costumes from the various Rajput princely states. To properly understand the nuances of curtains, we studied sculptures and murals in various forts and havelis spread across Rajasthan. The costumes of Padmaavat allowed us to mix different crafts and techniques as well as explore textile crafts that are on the verge of extinction. For Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, we dealt with a more contemporary period as well as the dual role played by Tabu. It was a classic story about the good sister and her evil twin, which is reflected in the costumes we designed. For Anjulika (the good sister) it was delicate chiffon and georgette sarees in a soft pastel color story, while for Manjulika (the evil sister) we used heavier fabrics and a dark, brooding color palette centered around black. The surface ornamentation also reflects this.
Alia Bhatt’s white saree she wore on the Berlinale red carpet defied the norm.
Harpreet: For Alia’s appearance at the Berlinale this year, we wanted to create an outfit that combined the famous sense of joie de vivre that Alia is associated with, as well as nuances of her character’s red carpet style. The ensemble had to be reminiscent of the iconic one Gangubai depicted by Alia and at the same time reflect our brand’s aesthetic philosophy and love of vintage. Once all the details of the ensemble were finalised, we started with the look and feel, embroideries etc. We wanted the overall effect to be sublime and ethereal, so we decided to feature some Edwardian and French lace shawls from our archives. Over the course of two weeks, the saree was handcrafted in our atelier using various embroidery techniques.
How do you see your signature look merging with Bollywood fashion after designing for films?
Edge: We never thought of ourselves as fashion designers and always thought of ourselves more as fashion revivalists. Our understanding of the design process is intuitive, with various elements from our travels and the strong love we have for vintage textiles brought together. We have never referred to any predictions, nor attempted to follow market trends, nor, for that matter, attempted to create fashion trends. Certain aspects of our collections may have emerged as market trends, but this was completely unintentional. Our approach to colors and patterns has always been maximalist. Sometimes one tends to obsess over a particular technique or type of motif and the repeated use of the same becomes ingrained in our viewer’s perception of our aesthetic. We have a personal archive of around 5000 vintage textiles, print fragments and costumes. Developing as a designer means juxtaposing different layers of your life with your craft. Sometimes it’s about exploring and exploring technique, sometimes it’s about interacting with artisans, and sometimes it’s more instinctive and spontaneous. Sometimes the designs we create for our label also have the look and feel of movie costumes. The same goes for the work we do for our film projects.
Are there any recent Bollywood fashion trends that you feel you’re incorporating into your signature style?
Harpreet: Bollywood couture trends have always been a starting point for us as designers. Whether it’s the down-to-earth provincialism of films like Do Bigha Zamin and Mother India, the sturdy majesty of Mughal-e-Azam or Pakeezah and Umrao Jaan or hardcore ad films like Sholay, Mera Gaon Mera Desh and Mr. Natwarlal…all these films give us as designers a lot to draw from and enrich our sensibilities. Not just Bollywood, we also look at international cinema when it comes to embracing how costumes help the narrative move forward. The films of Merchant-Ivory, Darren Aronofsky and Baz Luhrmann have always inspired us because of the detail and inclusion of costumes. Bhanu Athiya’s work has always been a source of great personal inspiration for us. Her costumes create the characters and vice versa. And if we can create suits along those lines that years later can be referred to as iconic, that’s something we’re aiming for. As designers we are always trying to tell a story through our creations and working on film allows us to do this on a larger than life scale.
Who is your favorite among the various celebrities you have designed for?
Harpreet: Both Deepika Padukone and Aditi Rao Hydari it was an absolute pleasure to work with Padmaavat. They are consummate professionals as well as method executors. They got under the skin of their respective roles of two different queens and brought our costumes to life. There were times on set when we couldn’t tell the difference between the actor and the character. And it was something truly magical to watch as we felt like we were seeing history unfold before our eyes.
How important would you say it is for designers that their vision is in sync with the director’s vision?
Edge: When we go into pre-production for a project like Padmaavat, where the director, Mr. Bhansali, is a known master of his craft who looks into every single aspect of his films, there are bound to be many iterations of the same look to be created. A lot of research and improvisation is an integral part of the whole process, which is equally enriching as it is intense for us as designers. Mr. Bhansali is a true auteur and an incredible visionary. He has a vast knowledge not only of films but also of historical costumes, and every day spent working with him was a learning experience for us. Sometimes the costumes speak louder than the dialogue and the most challenging aspect is getting that right. And that’s what we strive for with every look we create.
Having worked in horror and historical dramas, what is the next film genre you would like to explore?
Harpreet: We made our foray into Bollywood costume design under Mr. Bhansali. He may have seen our inherent love of retro and royally inspired suits in our fashion collections and chose us based on that. Our next two projects, Housefull 4 and Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, were in a more comedic zone. While working on Housefull 4, we had Sajid Khan guiding us on the costume requirements, which were split between a historical and contemporary zone. Sajid is a true cinephile and offered us plenty of references to work with. This helped create a very individualistic look for the six main characters. Working on such period-oriented projects is always satisfying but intense, so we’re looking forward to a more light-hearted project like a romantic comedy film to work on soon.
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