What made you choose Begin Again that is so much smaller in scale when compared to your previous outings, Life of Pi and The Reluctant Fundamentalist? I was attracted to many things about Begin Again. First and foremost — the script. I loved the idea of two down-and-out characters connecting with each other through their love for music. It’s a love story without being a ‘romance’ in the classical sense. Also I was obsessed with director John Carney’s previous film Once — it was really tender and honest. Tell us about your experiences with styling for this film. It was a special treat to be shooting in New York — it’s where I went to college and I feel very much at home there. A lot of my inspirations come from its streets. So to be able to do a film set in that milieu was very exciting. Keira Knightley has such a strong sense of costume, her emerald gown from Atonement is still remembered. How did you two get along? Keira and I got along famously. I was a little nervous before we met because she’s such a prominent and iconic figure in the fashion business. I was pleasantly surprised to find her very generous with her ideas and time, and very open to collaboration. The thing that struck me most about her is her complete lack of vanity. She doesn’t feel the need to be glamorous all the time. Our costume choices were always character- and situation-driven rather than fashion-driven. Why haven’t we seen your work in Indian films, your last one was Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara? I’m currently working with Zoya Akhtar again on her new film Dil Dhadakne Do. So that’ll be my next Hindi film release. I’m happy to work on other Indian films but it will have to be a balance between Bollywood and the West. I’m not much of a multitasker — I really have the concentration to do one film at a time. Do you see yourself launching your own label, like many Hollywood stylists are doing? Not at all. I like to follow fashion and I like to be aware of what’s happening in the business but I have no real interest in making a commercial line of clothing. You attempted at changing the language of menswear much earlier with Dil Chahta Hai. What’s your take on men’s dressing now? My intention with Dil Chahta Hai was never really to ‘change the language of menswear’. It was simply to represent my characters in a realistic and modern way — just to be honest to the contemporary urban experience. I’m not a big fan of flamboyance in men’s dressing. I opt instead for classical silhouettes and basics! (But that could just be my current fashion mood!) Name three most stylish men according to you? That’s a really diffucult question to answer — I see stylish people all the time. I really like the style of George Clooney the late MF Husain. Anil Kapoor is my current favorite.
