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DESIGN
Regal touch
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Giving an epic look to the lead pair of “Jodhaa Akbar” called for striking a balance between creativity and research, says Neeta Lulla
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Touted as one of the biggest releases of this year, Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Jodhaa Akbar, releasing early next month, spins a yarn around a glorious chapter of the Mughal era. Expectations are high since the epic romance is the
third big film to come from the Gowarikar stable after the much-acclaimed Lagaan and Swades.
With Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai coming together again after the successful Dhoom II, the movie has managed to grab headlines much before its release. But Jodhaa Akbar captures life of a different era. Amidst the towering palaces and the blinding opulence, the battle cries and the tentative times of peace, a young Akbar and the fiery Rajput princess Jodhaa serenade the tunes of love. However, as one marvels at the perfectly pleated odhni and the glittering angarkhas worn by the principal actors, attention is drawn to the work of costume designer Neeta Lulla, who has given them the perfect royal look.
classic aura Aishwarya Rai in Jodhaa Akbar and (left) Neeta Lulla
With “the look” of the film her responsibility, Lulla has strived to give the characters a regal appearance that provides a glimpse of the era, yet is not an unimaginative copy of it. “Jodhaa Akbar is not a historical or a period film. It is an epic romance,” says Lulla, who has other romances such as Devdas to her credit. By preferring to call the film an “epic romance” instead of a “historical” or even a “period” drama, Lulla probably is giving herself an opportunity to experiment, rather than making the costumes a stitch by stitch replica of the times. But she assures research has been vital to her work. “An epic romance of this magnitude involves theory and research,” she says.
Research took her to Rajasthan as well as Agra, where she learnt more about the fine embroidery of the period.
The royalty of Rajasthan also came to her aid with their paintings and books. It took her about 6-8 months to transform all that theory into fine costumes, and the filming took a year.
“The challenging part for me was to strike a balance. I had to work within the creative parameters, but keeping in mind the dresses available at that time. The idea is to make the contemporary audience relate to them,” she says.
“For Aishwarya, it is mostly ghagra-cholis and Hrithik will be predominantly seen in angarkhas. The fabrics are mostly silks and brocade and the colours used are warm red, yellow, saffron and green,” says Lulla.
But the well-known designer admits “detailing” was the key when it came to accessories. From Jodhaa’s ghunghroo to Akbar’s headgear, everything bears the mark of an earnest eye.
“The turbans are all hand-made and done in silk, raw silk and mulmul. They are all embellished with precious stones like diamond and rubies,” says Lulla.
The talking-point of the film – the jewellery – was the outcome of research as well as meetings with representatives from Tanishq jewellery that provided the royal collection.
But films that relate to an era have also attracted controversies, as experts often find fault with the representation and authenticity of the characters, costumes and other factors.
However, at least for the time being, Lulla wants to remain positive.
“We are taking this optimistically. Every technician on board has done as much research as possible,” she signs off.
P. ANIMA
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