Stylist Rick Roy decodes how he made Vidya a spitting image of NTR’s wife in late actor-politician’s biopic
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; January 23, 2019) 

While NTR Kathanayakudu — the biopic on NR Rama Rao — received a lukewarm response at the box office, Vidya Balan was widely appreciated for her portrayal of NTR’s wife Basavatarakam. That she bore a striking resemblance to her muse on screen only added to her nuanced act. Ahead of the release of the second part of the Krish-directed biopic, stylist Rick Roy says that cracking Basavatarakam’s look from her younger days posed the biggest challenge.

The stylist says, “In the two-part film, Vidya’s character ages from her 20s to late 50s. It was difficult to recreate Basava’s young look because there were no pictures of her from that period [in public domain] that could be used as reference.”

His interactions with NTR’s family helped him gain insights into his muse. “Even though she was a superstar’s wife, she didn’t like being in the public eye. The family shared few pictures of her from their personal albums, basis which we designed Vidya’s look. Plus, I studied the sartorial styles prevalent during the period, and cross-referenced it with the team to check on the authenticity.”

After zeroing in on the look, it was a long journey from the drawing board to the set. Roy says it took him four months and several trips to Chennai to source the sarees that Basavatarakam favoured. “She preferred handloom silk sarees, which is not easily available anymore. I made nine trips to Chennai to select the sarees that would be used.”