Reserved by the stars

Mid Day speaks with film costume designer Priyanka Mundada on designing the wardrobe for the stars of Aarakshan a day ahead of the film's release

Reserved by the stars

Mid Day speaks with film costume designer Priyanka Mundada on designing the wardrobe for the stars of Aarakshan a day ahead of the film's release

She's had a long standing association with producer-director Prakash Jha and Priyanka Mundada holds him in high regard. The designer, who worked on Jha's Rajneeti and Dil, Dosti Etc prior to this, says, "I share a great rapport with him and know what he wants. Working with him is a great learning experience."

A still from Aarakshan

Unlike most costume designers, Priyanka doesn't believe in sourcing ready-to-wear clothes and accessories and putting the look together for the characters. Almost every item of clothing has been made by her over two and a half months.

Deepika Padukone, who plays Poorbi Anand, Amitabh Bachchan's daughter in the film, sports a desi chic look. "She's sou00a0 glamorous that we had to downplay it by giving her cotton skirts, tops, kurtis in bright colours with jeans - clothes that a small town girl from Bhopal would wear. There's an interesting graph in her character. When things get tougher in her life, her clothes become duller in colour.u00a0 We've kept her hair wavy, make up minimal and restricted her accessories to Kadas, churis, bindis and gorgeous Kolhapuris and flats," reveals Priyanka.

Her on-screen lover Saif Ali Khan sports a moustache that underlines his rugged look in the film. Saif, who plays a Dalit in the film, was a challenge to work with, says Priyanka. "We did lots of look tests with him and tried achieving the Dalit looku00a0 by giving him normal shirts and trousers, kurtas and stoles which were stitched and not very well fitted. We had to age his

costumes by washing them five to six times. Even the jute linen jackets, the fabric for which was sourced from UP, were washed. He also wears thick rimmed specs for the part in the film where he plays a professor and Bata shoes, which he absolutely hated," chortles Priyanka.

Pratik's look in the film is however trendier as his character comes from a wealthy background. "With Bachchan, who plays the principal of a college, her biggest task was to ensure that he looked nothing like his character in Mohabbatein, the other film in which he essayed a similar role.u00a0 He has played every possible role in his life but was amazingly accommodating. We gave him a full beard andu00a0 Jodhpuri jackets with combination pants. When his character graph declines and he resigns from the college to teach poor kids, he wears sleeveless jackets with mufflers and relaxed trousers. The closed shoes worn during his principal days are replaced by a moccasin," maintains Priyanka.

The other professor in the film, Mithilesh Singh, played by Manoj Bajpai, is a flamboyant character. "He wears gold rimmed glasses, his hair, with streaks of grey, looks different. Manoj will mostly be seen in tweed
jackets with contrast ties in green, blue, beige and black and shiny slip-on shoes," states Priyanka.u00a0
The designer is currently working on Goldie Behl's I, Meu00a0 Aur Main starring John Abraham, Prachi Desai and Chitrangada Singh.