With plenty of 'students' roaming around in bell bottoms, the front lawns of Miranda House in Delhi recently time-travelled to the '70s, as Meghna Gulzar shot for her upcoming film, Raazi. The film stars Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal and is set in the period leading up to the 1971 India-Pakistan war. The crew was in Delhi just for a day as they shot a college scene with Alia. The campus shoot was originally planned in Punjab, but had to be shifted after the Dera violence hit while the crew was filming in Patiala.

The balmy day notwithstanding, the junior artistes were dressed in sweaters for the scene, which was set in winter. Alia, too, was wearing a cardigan to match her lavender bell bottoms. She plays a Kashmiri girl in the film, who marries a Pakistani army officer and provides vital intelligence to India for the war.

The students went about their day, even as there were plenty of hangers-on trying to catch a glimpse of Alia or watch the shoot. Many got their chance when the crew moved from the front lawn to the hostel wing, and a bunch of students parked and a bunch of students parked themselves on an overhanging balcony right above the action. Several students were joking about 'men inside the Miranda hostel' referring to the film's crew, as they watched the shoot with interest.

Pratibha Jolly, the principal, said, “Miranda House is a cinematographer's delight. Whenever we give our premises to others, including production houses, we ensure that the synergy between the college and the visitors is least disturbed. When I met Meghna, there was general excitement among everyone in the college. And since her work is so good and illustrious, and Alia Bhatt is a young actor appreciated for her work, everyone was hoping to see them and take photos, but we stay away from that. Meghna is expected to come back to the college to have a discussion with students on theatre and cinema, and we would like to invite Alia on the same occasion to interact with our students.“

With inputs from Riya Sharma