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Life is supposedly one long party when you8217;re based in Miami. Aki Narula, however, discovered that life on pristine beaches can also mean a lot of hard work.

Designer Aki Narula on dressing up the hunks in Tarun Mansukhani8217;s Dostana

Life is supposedly one long party when you8217;re based in Miami. Aki Narula, however, discovered that life on pristine beaches can also mean a lot of hard work. The designer, who has dressed up actors John Abraham, Abhishek Bachchan, Bobby Deol and a handful of others only Priyanka Chopra8217;s costumes have been done by Manish Malhotra for Tarun Mansukhani8217;s film Dostana that releases this Friday, got his brief for the film approved in half an hour, when he met the director and producer Karan Johar in Mumbai last November.

But when he landed in Miami for a recce in early January, he knew he was in for a mad ride. 8220;There8217;s a very Cuban, Mexican feel to Miami, particularly with its cosmopolitan crowd, its white sands and clear blue skies. Since the characters in the film are based there, imbibing the local culture was important. Translating that mood to clothes was quite a task,8221; he says.

In the movie, Abraham plays a fashion photographer and Bachchan a male nurse, while Bobby Deol is an urban sophisticate. So while Deol goes around in more formal clothing8212; slim Louis Vuitton suits and Dolce Gabbana jackets, the other two have a more casual style.

8220;Choosing clothes for John was easy. He8217;s in shorts for most of the movie and all you ladies are in for a treat with his toned body on display,8221; smiles Aki. 8220;I gave him a lot of tees with social messages on them. I made Abhishek wear all sorts of bright colours, from oranges to greens to reds and pinks with low-waisted jeans and cargo pants,8221; says Narula, who has been styling for Bachchan junior since his Bunty Aur Babli days.

In fact, Narula experimented a fair bit with Bachchan8217;s outfit, apart from making him wear colour. 8220;Even though this movie is aimed for an urban crowd, I always believe that a trend should be able to cut across masses, like the shirt kurtis in Bunty Aur Babli that became such a rage after the movie.

Most of the shirts that Abhishek wears in Dostana have collars that are 30 inches long, and reach his knees. A friend of mine was telling me he has already seen replicas on Carter Road!8221; says Narula. Shooting was a whole lot of fun too. 8220;John would be ready in a jiffy while the other two took their time getting dressed for the shot. So John would laugh his head off all the while and irritate them,8221; he grins.

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Post Dostana, Narula8217;s appointment diary is choc-a-bloc with assignments. Up next is Aditya Chopra8217;s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, and Renzil D8217; silva8217;s debut film with Saif Ali Khan, Kareena Kapoor and Viveik Oberoi. He is also doing the costumes for Kareena Kapoor for her next project, Kambaqt Ishq. For now though, look out for the dandies.

Paromita Chakrabarti

Paromita Chakrabarti is Senior Associate Editor at the The Indian Express. She is a key member of the National Editorial and Opinion desk and writes on books and literature, gender discourse, workplace policies and contemporary socio-cultural trends. Professional Profile With a career spanning over 20 years, her work is characterized by a "deep culture" approach—examining how literature, gender, and social policy intersect with contemporary life. Specialization: Books and publishing, gender discourse (specifically workplace dynamics), and modern socio-cultural trends. Editorial Role: She curates the literary coverage for the paper, overseeing reviews, author profiles, and long-form features on global literary awards. Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) Her recent writing highlights a blend of literary expertise and sharp social commentary: 1. Literary Coverage & Nobel/Booker Awards "2025 Nobel Prize in Literature | Hungarian master of apocalypse" (Oct 10, 2025): An in-depth analysis of László Krasznahorkai’s win, exploring his themes of despair and grace. "Everything you need to know about the Booker Prize 2025" (Nov 10, 2025): A comprehensive guide to the history and top contenders of the year. "Katie Kitamura's Audition turns life into a stage" (Nov 8, 2025): A review of the novel’s exploration of self-recognition and performance. 2. Gender & Workplace Policy "Karnataka’s menstrual leave policy: The problem isn’t periods. It’s that workplaces are built for men" (Oct 13, 2025): A viral opinion piece arguing that modern workplace patterns are calibrated to male biology, making women's rights feel like "concessions." "Best of Both Sides: For women’s cricket, it’s 1978, not 1983" (Nov 7, 2025): A piece on how the yardstick of men's cricket cannot accurately measure the revolution in the women's game. 3. Social Trends & Childhood Crisis "The kids are not alright: An unprecedented crisis is brewing in schools and homes" (Nov 23, 2025): Writing as the Opinions Editor, she analyzed how rising competition and digital overload are overwhelming children. 4. Author Interviews & Profiles "Fame is another kind of loneliness: Kiran Desai on her Booker-shortlisted novel" (Sept 23, 2025): An interview regarding The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny. "Once you’ve had a rocky and unsafe childhood, you can’t trust safety: Arundhati Roy" (Aug 30, 2025): A profile on Roy’s recent reflections on personal and political violence. Signature Beats Gender Lens: She frequently critiques the "borrowed terms" on which women navigate pregnancy, menstruation, and caregiving in the corporate world. Book Reviews: Her reviews often draw parallels between literature and other media, such as comparing Richard Osman’s The Impossible Fortune to the series Only Murders in the Building (Oct 25, 2025). ... Read More