Kunal Rawal talks on how he funked up Shahid Kapoor’s look in ‘Phata Poster Nikhla Hero’

Changing colours

“Vishwas Rao is a small town boy,who harbours a dream of becoming an actor. In the initial portions,you will see Shahid wearing a lot of neutral coloured shirts with long sleeves,collar T -shirts and pants in muted colours. The look is more local,with easygoing outfits,” stated Rawal. It is only as the film progresses that you get to know more about the character’s passion for cinema and how badly he wants to make it big in Bollywood. At this stage,the audience gets to see glimpses of his aspirations and that’s when his outfits also undergo a change and begins to include fitted denims in bold colours and slim fit shirts. “When Vishwas finally comes down to Mumbai,there is a change in his clothing style as well. He starts wearing outfits that will help him get noticed and get a big break. The colours become funkier and he starts wearing random stuff like flashy accessories. For example: even when Shahid is wearing a cop uniform,he is seen in a pair of reflective blue aviators which are not usually worn by cops.” reveals the designer.

Taking inspiration

The designer confessed that he took a lot of inspiration from aspiring actors across the city,especially the ones who frequent areas like Juhu,Oshiwara and Lokhandwala for auditions. He also observed newbies who visit sets to meet directors or producers,while waiting in the wings to get a break. Rawal elaborates,“Some aspiring actors wear specific type of outfits,especially fitted clothes to show off their muscles. It’s the whole ‘muscle hain toh dikhao’ attitude. It was interesting to take inspiration from real people like that. I also went through portfolios of aspiring actors to see the kind of outfits they prefer. For some,it’s all about showing off your best assets to get a break.” A huge chunk of outfits in this film was made from scratch,but a couple of accessories,polo t-shirts among other things were sourced from markets in Lokhandwala,Versova,Goregaon,Tardeo and Haji Ali to add a hint of local flavour to the outfits.

Freaking out

The designer got a chance to go completely crazy with colours in his designs for the songs. “As Tu Mere Agal Bagal has a slow,Goan vibe to it,we decided to have fun with the styling,adding ghaati elements like colour blocking and bold prints. Scarves and pop coloured shades gave a peppy tapori touch to the outfits too,” said Rawal. Another exciting look in the song was the blue Safari shirt-suit in blue,complete with white shoes,colourful buttons and matching silhouette with a scarf in his neck. The designer visualised it as a contemporary outfit that a Koli groom would wear at a wedding. On the other hand,Dhating Naach is a story driven song,where Vishwas is part of a stage performance. “This is Shahid’s favourite outfit,where he is wearing a bright coloured shirt knotted on the waist,a pair of black trousers and an Aztec block printed waistcoat with sequins and tikli. This is how I visualised Vishwas as a stage performer and the outfit worked wonderfully on the stage,” Rawal stated. For the romantic track Main Rang Sharbaton Ka,the designer was asked to keep Shahid’s look very casual and contemporary breaking the signature loud flamboyant look in the film.

Youth oriented

Although the film caters to a wide audience,Rawal feels that the the look sported will appeal more to the youth. “Bold and block prints for boys is a huge trend all over the world,and it’s sure to catch on here too after this film. It’s just that in Phata Poster…, we have added an Indian touch to it. Vishwas Rao’s outfits are roadside and ghaati in a loveable way. Just like the character,” he adds.

The tapori look

Hairy tales

Pulled back hair with lots of gel and mousse to give it a thick and rough look

Magic of colours

Bright colours were added to make the look more vibrant

Going bling

A sequinned shirt with bold prints added a touch of street-side style

Denim capers

Shahid wears coloured denims,which is a huge street-side fashion trend in India right now

Street smart

To complete the look,Shahid sports a bright red scarf,

which is also used as a prop in the song