Tailoring characters
BAGESHREE S.
|
Subtlety was Ishrath Nisar's watchword while designing costumes for the movie Haseena, which has brought her a national award
|
Women's issues are my primary concern ISHRATH NISAR
UNEXPECTED Ishrath Nisar: `The costume design award was a surprise, considering that awards in this category have always gone to period films' Photo: BHAGYA PRAKASH K.
When Girish Kasaravalli makes a film, can a slew of awards be far behind? But the national film award jury's verdict on his latest, Haseena, came with a couple of surprises. The film won an award under an unexpected category — as a film on family welfare. And yet another in an unexpected department — costume designing.
A surprise
"We weren't surprised by Tara getting the best actress award. We were, in fact, also expecting one for the blind child actor who plays Tara's daughter, which sadly didn't happen. But costume designing award was a total surprise, considering that awards in this category have always gone to period films," says Ishrath Nisar, who took on the responsibility of designing costumes for Haseena quite by chance.
Being the sister of Bhanu Mushtaq, on whose story "Kari Nagaragalu" the film is based, Ishrath got involved with the film to help Girish create the right ambience. Ishrath holds a master's degree in Kannada literature and has worked as a lecturer for a while and later as a reporter with a Kannada newspaper. She has published a few stories and poems herself, though she has never been in the limelight like her writer-lawyer sister. "My sister and I share a lot of ideas, especially those on women's empowerment and I thought I could pitch in with the film because Bhanu was away at Hassan and very busy." Then Girish suggested Ishrath also design costumes considering her familiarity with the milieu.
And Girish's watchword for Ishrath and the rest of the crew through the making of the film was "subtlety". So, clothes and jewellery Ishrath chose for each character had to reflect the class they came from, even while not loudly proclaiming it.
Class background
"There are three Muslim families in the film from different social backgrounds. I made sure the clothes and jewellery I picked for each was in keeping with their respective backgrounds," says Ishrath. "The perfectionist that Girish is, he wanted everything just right, adding to the narrative flow."
Though it was her maiden involvement with a film unit, Ishrath thoroughly enjoyed her experience and learnt a lot in the process. "It was exciting. The experience of working with Kasaravalli was a reward in itself," she says. Her 10-day stay with the film unit in Mangalore was particularly interesting. "It's when you are in the thick of it that you learn how hard it is to make something and how easy it is to sit back and pass judgments on it!"
Women's issues
Now that her first brush with films has brought her such recognition, would Ishrath continue her involvement in the field? "Women's issues are my primary concern," she says. "I got involved with this film because it's an issue close to my heart. I would say the story of Haseena is more a reflection on the status of a woman rather than a community. And for Bhanu too, woman's issue is primary." She might consider getting involved with another film if the story interests her.
Right now, Ishrath is working with two NGOs — Samvada and Spandana — and hopes to get back to writing her own stories and poems.
Printer friendly
page
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Entertainment
Bangalore
Chennai and Tamil Nadu
Delhi
Hyderabad
Thiruvananthapuram
