National award winning fashion designer Neeta Lulla joins mid-day.com's 'BTS Stars' for a special conversation. Lulla who has worked on over 400 films recalls her work on iconic films like 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' and 'Devdas' among others. She takes a trip down memory lane about working with icons like Sridevi, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Priyanka Chopra. Find out all about her latest work with Kangana Ranaut, Samatha Ruth Prabhu and much more. Watch the complete video on mid-day's Youtube channel.
Updated On: 2023-08-01 02:26 PM IST
Compiled by : Natasha Coutinho D`Souza
Speaking about working with the late Sridevi, Lulla recalled, "Sridevi had a great part to play in my understanding of colours. Those days you didn't have a pantone shade card, Pintrest or any digital medium. She would explain colours using a fresh green leaf or a fruit."
The designer went on to share another anecdote, "There was an outfit that I was supposed to make in white, for a show post 'Chandni.' We wanted to reacreate the white tandav outfit. I used a white synthetic lycra, pure white fabric with white squins. All the three whites were different and I didn't even think about it. Later she explained to me that all the whites have to be the same otherwise they create a completely different format of colour on camera."
Lulla recalls that during the 90s, designers had access to only two International magazines a year unlike today where information can be accessed in minutes and anyone can watch fashion shows from across the world live.
Lulla has had a long association with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, right from her days as a newcomer to iconic films like 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' and 'Devdas.'
Speaking about 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' she said, "When everyone in the media started writing about 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam' I told myself 'Neeta Lulla your career ends here. There are too many expectations, now what will happen beyond this."
Sharing memories of team 'Devdas' during the 55th Cannes Film Festival in May 2002 she said, "The response Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan got at Cannes was unreal."
Moving on to the costumes of 'Devdas' Lulla said, "I could write a book on it. Each and every aspect of the journey was iconic."
She added, "I prestitched all the saris which were 12 metres and more in the film. Infact the 'Dola Re' song has 18 metres of fabric."
"All the 21 saris were prestitched and predraped, which are today's so called concept saris," said Lulla.
Priyanka Chopra, is someone the designer has been working with since her Miss World days, "Priyanka's journey has been exceptional. She's a woman who holds her strength."
The designer went on to share an anecdote about Samantha Ruth Prabhu where she had to dance in an extremely heavy costume for 'Shaakuntalam.'
Watch the complete interview on mid-day's Youtube channel.
