Tinker Tailor

The reason I say this is because Anaita Shroff Adajanias brilliance in Cocktail has been awarded by Screen earlier this year. This award is especially remarkable because the film,like Karenina,didnt shake any major stakes at the box office. Moreover,the film hardly demanded a costume like a period film or fantasy would have. Keeping it real and here-and-now is a thoroughly tough task. The films lead actress Deepika Padukone essayed a career-changing performance. How much of this can be attributed to her on-trend frocks or vice versa will always make for an interesting debate. Would Audrey Hepburns Breakfast At Tiffanys be as adored and awarded if werent for Hubert de Givenchy? We will never know.

The other hot costume designer these days is Niharika Khan,who always hits the bulls eye with her penchant for socio-cultural accuracy. She scored her first National Award for Vidya Balans The Dirty Picture where the actors attire completes and complements her persona. But Khans best film,for me,has been Band Baaja Baraat. The styling right from the colours,styles,fabrics and economics was not only perfect,it made the film even livelier if such a thing is possible. Khan,who also beautifully styled for Rock On,takes a turn this week with Kai Po Che another bromance by the same director Abhishek Kapoor and is already winning cheers for her naturalism.

Neeta Lulla gave us gauche actresses in Sridevi and Karisma Kapoor,but the historical accuracy and lavish beauty of Jodhaa Akbar which also brought her the coveted National Award redeemed her. Manish Malhotra gave us chiffons and net saris with bikini blouses,the ubiquitous Rangeela dress,and then DKNY,Damp;G and other initials. But all is kosher because he showed us the importance of a glossy picture,of a perfectly groomed actress and a tautly toned hero. He taught us to aspire and to escape,fashions real job.

Aki Narula made the darling Ranbir Kapoor look rugged in Rockstar and goofy in Barfi! And no one but Sabyasachi could style the magical Black or mesmerising Raavan.

There are so many others in big and important films whose names I cant recall and have never heard of before. Each ones work is commendable to say the least.

A much repeated cliché in Bollywood is that its costumes are badly made,or are gaudy and tawdry. This despite Indias first Oscar was earned by a costume stylist Bhanu Athaiya,who gave us unforgettable designs for Waheeda Rehman in Guide,Mumtaz in Brahmachari and Zeenat Aman in Satyam Shivam Sundaram. But a costume designers job is only appreciated in close-up: their inventiveness,research,resourcefulness and wit needs to be understood. They read the screenplay,work with the director,the cameraman and even the lighting guy before sourcing for characters and even walk-on parts.

Ironically,the most awarded woman at the Oscars is a costume designer. Edith Head who styled Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday and the ultimate fashion film Funny Face,Kim Novak in Vertigo,Tippi Hedren in The Birds and Grace Kelley in Rear Window was nominated 35 times and won eight.

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