The Heroines new clothes

The key elements of design in the works of Indias senior-most designer Ritu Kumar,among other things,are pure...

Designer Ritu Kumar ditches her wariness of Bollywood ventures to dress up the ladies in Dia Mirzas first production and Deepa Mehtas next.

The key elements of design in the works of Indias senior-most designer Ritu Kumar,among other things,are pure textiles,traditional embroideries,crafts and weaves like the Jamavar she helped sustain and revive,and the stamp of Indian-ness. It is no secret that Kumar likes bling but only if it doesnt shout. Actor Dia Mirza,dressed by Kumar during her Miss India days in 2000,has since remained an ardent fan. She wears Kumar and swears by her clothes. So when it came to designing the wardrobe especially the wedding scenes of Mirzas forthcoming film Love Breakups Zindagi,the actress requested Kumar to step in,and she obliged.

The trailers of the film show vibrant Ritu Kumar dresses from her bridal brand Ri as well as modern separates from her western brand Label. Dia Mirza looks fabulous,as do her co actors,Auritra Ghosh,Soni Razdaan and Nandini Sen. The brief given by Mirza was in sync with my design sensibilities. She wanted the characters to look real and relatable on screen, says Kumar,who dug into her much-acclaimed Falaknuma collection to work this filmy wardrobe.

The collection is inspired by the interiors of the famed palace of Hyderabad and highlights the crafts heritage of the royal city. It includes exquisitely embroidered lehengas,saris,coats,kurtas,shararas and skirts,many of which will be seen in the film.

Its quite a non-Bollywood look,though the mood is fun and the silhouettes are flowing, says Kumar. The dresses also boast of fine,coloured thread work,along with contrasts in bandhini. Theres a play of Kutch embroideries and prints on the garments too, she adds.

This isnt the first time that Kumar has designed for a film,though her Bollywood projects have been very few. I am selective about commercial Bollywood films. Fortunately,Dia Mirza knew the kind of work I do and so,it was easy putting it together for Love Breakups Zindagi, says the designer.

In the past,her designs have been featured in films like Bollywood-Hollywood,filmmaker son Ashvin Kumars Road To Ladakh and his Oscar-nominated Little Terrorist.

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Interestingly,Kumars next project is also dyed in cinematic hues. She will design wedding ensembles for Deepa Mehtas new film Winds Of Change,based on Salman Rushdies prize-winning novel,Midnights Children.

I am very excited about this as I am revisiting Kashmir through my research for the films outfits, shares Kumar,looking forward to designing phirens and using Kashmiri resham work. The film is set in a different time zone and requires research,so that costumes can be lent authenticity. Its a challenge and I am up for it, says Kumar.