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Fantasy land Omung Kumar (left) (on the right) A marathon exercise carried out behind the scenes resulted in creation of a fairytale land-like settings in ‘Saawariya’

Everything about Saawariya appears surreal, from the costumes to the cinematography and its sets. The larger-than-life canvas of Sanjay Leela Bhansali came alive thanks to commendable work behind the scenes. Art director Omung Kumar and his team were at work for nearly two years and are glad the wait will soon be over.

“For every set, every wall, every artefact, the reference point was a painting. Bhansali wanted a city that is mystique, romantic and surreal, like a painting. That’s what we’ve done, with help from a lot of artists,” says Omung. He and his wife Vanita designed eight to 10 large sets inside which the film has been shot. “It’s a fantasy land. When you watch it you won’t question if such a city exists. We used lotus paintings on a few walls and paintings of goddess Saraswati on a few other. We built sets that will showcase the best of different cities in India. The snowfall is reminiscent of nights in Shimla. Blue is the predominant colour, similar to the blue one would find in homes across Jaipur and Udaipur. Watching the huge boats on the promos, people ask me if I wanted to recreate Venice. Well, don’t you find boats in Benaras? And apart from lotus ponds, watch out for lotuses painted on the floors,” he says.

He and his team tested with two colour themes – blue and beige and settled for blue. “The viewer will not get bored of watching this make-believe world because it is simply beautiful… with its balconies, boats, a bridge, and more.” The task was simple: to create a city. “Each set took us 25 to 30 days to create. The scenes move from one set to the other without even the viewer knowing the transition,” says Omung.

Omung refutes comments that Bhansali and team drew inspiration from White Nights penned by Fyodor Dostoevsky and Kieslowski’s Blue. “I haven’t seen the adaptations of White Nights so I wouldn’t know if those films too were shot completely at night time. I stuck to Bhansali’s script,” he maintains.

Omung is not new to taking up challenges. His repertoire includes Ishq Vishq, Pyar ke Side Effects, Shabd, Na tum jaano na hum, Corporate, Waqt and above all, Black. “Black was the turning point. From being vibrant, we (Omung and his wife Vanita) went monochromatic. From then on, we are expected to outdo ourselves” he says.

Vanita and Omung have a few years of advertising careers behind them. “Working together is a boon. Once the sets are done, Vanita infuses new life into them. She puts up the props – the curtains, the colour theme and the add-ons.” One of the highlights of Saawariya, he says, is the Jab se Tere Naina song picturised with a curtain as its central focus. “We painted Mona Lisa on a curtain. Sanjay loved it and shot an entire song using the curtain.”

Omung and Vanita have now moved on to Love Story 2050, which will mark the debut of Harman Baweja. “For this movie, we have created sets that represent Mumbai in 2050.” They are also working on Subhash Ghai’s Yuvraaj starring Salman Khan and Anil Kapoor. “Then we will take a break from art direction. I am planning to direct a musical next year,” he informs.

For Omung, it’s been a memorable journey since the days of the television shows Ek Minute and Aur Ek Minute. “Art direction is something I shall return to after directing my film. That’s my first love,” he says.

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