Anushka Sharma and costume director Jalan decode her de-glam avatar in Sui Dhaaga
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 30, 2018)

Staying true to her character of Mamta, an embroidery artist in the heartland of India, Anushka Sharma can be seen sporting printed sarees and no make-up in Sui Dhaaga — Made In India. Costume designer Darshan Jalan reveals that her de-glam look was the result of several brainstorming sessions with director Sharat Katariya and the actor, followed by multiple look tests, before the Varun Dhawan starrer rolled in February.

Jalan was offered a concise brief at the onset — every small-town housewife must identify with Sharma's look. "It was clear from the word go that Anushka's character would wear synthetic sarees primarily because they are cheap, but also because they dry quickly after a wash," he says, alluding that convenience would be a primary concern for the character rather than style. The designer reveals that he borrowed ideas from incidents in his life.

"I have vivid memories of a lady coming to our house every Saturday to collect donation for the local temple. She always wore synthetic sarees and covered her head. It was not only a tradition but also served as a shield from the heat. Memories like these became reference points."

Though her look was a far cry from her previous glamorous outings, Sharma says fear never played on her mind while taking to the challenge. "Full marks to Darshan and make-up artist Clover Wootton for making Mamta relatable. From the dhaaga that I wear around my neck to the decision of going sans make-up — all this has created the character. The best part is that it would take me 20 minutes flat to get into the look."

After a wardrobe of brightly coloured jackets for his social drama, the actor will get a youthful new look for his lawyer turn, with Shraddha Kapoor as his ladylove
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 1, 2018)

Shahid Kapoor is getting ready for another extreme makeover. For his lawyer turn in Toilet: Ek Prem Katha director Shree Narayan Singh’s second film, the social comedy–drama Batti Gul Meter Chalu, the actor will be seen as a 20-something. Costume designers Neelanchal Ghosh and Darshan Jalan, who’ve also worked on Toilet, have been working overtime to get the 36-year-old actor’s look right. The film deals with the trials following faulty electricity bills.

“Shahid plays a young local boy from Uttarakhand who is a diehard romantic,” producer Prernaa Arora told Mirror. “The costume designer duo has been working with artisans in villages of the North Indian state and sourcing fabrics locally to ensure authenticity. Shahid will be wearing lots of bright sweaters and jackets since the story unfolds in winter.”

Shraddha’s character is also a small-town local and her colourful wardrobe will be loaded with salwar-kurtas and other ethnic wear. “She’s a bubbly girl and quite notorious in the first half of the film. Post interval, her character undergoes a transformation and with her behaviour her look will also change,” Prernaa reveals, adding that an outdoor set in the village from where the costumes are being sourced has been erected.

For the last three days, the actors, along with Shree Narayan, Prernaa and writer duo Siddharth–Garima have been working out of Shahid’s Mumbai office in Juhu which the actor voluntarily offered for back-to-back script-reading sessions and ongoing acting workshops. “On Wednesday night, we had a reading session with chai, dinner and lots of laughter. Shahid is a terrific actor and has been spending hours every day getting each line and punctuation in his dialogue sheet right. Along with Shree, Siddharth and Garima, he has been adding his own humour to the character and constantly improvising. He’s mastered the local dialect after undergoing training since the beginning of the year,” Prernaa informs.

The film rolls in Uttarakhand on February 9. Also featuring Yami Gautam as a lawyer, it will be shot in a start-to-finish schedule across Haridwar, Rishikesh, Tehri, Mussoorie and Nainital and is expected to wrap up by April. Yami will join the unit in Uttarakhand in March.

With Sunny Deol, 61, and his heroine Preity Zinta, 43, also turning back time to play an amorous couple in their 20s for their long-delayed film, Bhaiyyaji Superhitt (Mirror, January 31), Benjamin Button-ing seems to be the new fad in Bollywood.

“Now, all Shahid requires is a young haircut and a clean-shaven, boyish look,” Prerna says about the lead star.