Anju Modi talks about museum hopping and studying 18th century aesthetics to get the Bajirao Mastani costumes down pat
Aastha Atray Banan (MID-DAY; November 22, 2015)

"Did you know that Mastani was had albaster skin so that when she ate a paan, you could see the red through her skin?” says Anju Modi, costume designer for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s period love triangle, Bajirao Mastani. “But she was also a warrior. I had to keep both facets of her character in mind. And Sanjay said something very important, 'make sure she stands out in the Marathi landscape’.” It is this attention to detail and commitment to recreating the life of the Peshwas of the 1700s that made sure Modi’s costumes are garnering appreciation. Be it dressing Ranveer Singh as Bajirao in his dhotis and angrakhas or Deepika Padukone as Mastani, Bajirao’s second wife, in her shararas inspired by her Persian descent, or Priyanka Chopra as Kashibai (Bajirao’s first wife) in the garb of a traditional Maharashtrian in her nauvaris, Modi, has delved into the past quite effortlessly. And she matched Bhansali’s grand scale — with more than 500 outfits — with duplicates made for each piece because all actors had body doubles as well. “I visited museums in Nashik, Pune and Hyderabad. The idea was not to pick up a design but to get transported to the era. Once your head is there, your aesthetic also gels. And, your design follows. You end up writing your own poetry.”

For Priyanka, Modi designed the nauvari, the nine-yard saree, but made it from a fine yarn of cotton and silk so as to make it lighter. “We gave her colours that Indian women of that time wore — purple and lotus pink.” Modi narrates an interesting story behind Deepika’s outfit in the song Deewani Mastani. Since they had used up all colour palates, including yellow, red and gold, Bhansali wanted a completely different colour for his lead actress.

Modi suggested they use the  colour dhani, a shade of green. “Sanjay liked the way it sounded, and so he agreed.” For Mastani’s headgear, Modi and her team had one reference point — an artist's impression of an 18th century glass painting of Mastani, now exhibited at Pune’s Raja Kelkar Muesum. The team spent hours constructing it, so that it would not fall off Deepika's head when she tilted it. “The one thing that has come to my rescue is that I have been in fashion for 25 years, and I have spent time with artisans. I know how things are cut, and constructed."

The clothes also had to account for characterisations, stage setting, dialogue and moods. “It wasn't just my input. Sanjay, Deepika and Ranveer, also pitched in. Ranveer came for some of the excursions. You can fall in love with him a 100 times. It became like a picnic, where everyone’s creativity came into play.”

Her cues, she says, didn’t just come from specific instructions from Bhansali or her research. Often, it would also come by hanging on set. “Just watching Sanjay at work, indulging in conversations with people, influences your thought process. I have evolved as a designer,” she says.

Ask her what the country’s fashionistas are going to take away from the movie and she has an answer ready, “It has to be the shararas. But, I do hope that after this movie, the nauvari saree makes a comeback.”

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 28, 2015)

Bringing Sanjay Leela Bhansali's vision to life on the big screen is no small feat. Fashion designer Anju Modi, who reunites with the filmmaker with Bajirao Mastani after working with him on his 2013 love saga Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ram Leela, says that she knows exactly what he wants.

"I have been working on the designs for a year-and-a-half. The lehenga (Bajirao's female lead) Deepika wears (as seen in the picture) is my greatest work of all time," Modi, who launched her designs from the film in a Peshwa-styled event with the Aina Mahal from the film re-created as a backdrop, in New Delhi last week, says.

"Deepika is quite exquisite in the way she complements my designs. She brings out the opulence of the era with ease," the designer, who has also styled the other two leading actors in the film - Ranveer Singh and Priyanka Chopra - says.

While many complain about Bhansali's rigid style of working, temper tantrums and eccentricity, Modi believes he has true vision and doesn't compromise on it.

"That's a great trait of a creative person. It makes you work harder, discover your own potential in the process and meet his expectations. All this makes me a better designer," she says.

Modi travelled to Paithan in Southern Maharashtra, Ajanta in Aurangabad, Maheshwar in Madhya Pradesh and to textile mills in Hyderabad to procure the royal textures that would enhance the costumes in the film.

For Ranveer, who plays the Maratha Peshwa, Anju created several looks. The armour, chin guard and head gear, were customised for the actor and the extras. "The warrior shoes had to be studied in detail and I referred to literature and paintings from the 1700s. I took great creative liberties with the angakaras and shawls, and brought in my own interpretation of the time," the designer reveals.

"I incorporated different sartorial facets of the 18th century into all the three characters - Bajirao, Mastani and Kashibai. It was super challenging because Mastani was Persian and I had to research a lot," Modi explains, adding that her research was packed with museum visits.

She also recalls the moment when she came face-to-face with the only existing painting of Mastani. "Mastani shares both Hindu and Muslim nuances in her appearance. For her, we purchased handlooms and created basra dhotis. Her jewellery was heavy and regal with uncut diamonds and luxurious kushalas," Anju insists.

For Peshwa's first wife Kashibai, essayed by Priyanka Chopra, Modi stuck to the Maratha, nine yards sari style, styling PeeCee like a Raja Ravi Verma painting. "People think it is easier to design for the past, than it is for the future. But that is not true," the designer says.

Modi, whose repertoire boasts of over three decades of design expertise, says that with Bajirao Mastani, she is weaving a trend for future generations to draw from the past and preserve Indian heritage. "I continue to be nervous before every show. That's the novelty of design, I guess," she signs off with a smile.