DNA (October 29, 2018)

As the release of Thugs Of Hindostan draws nearer, several aspects of the film are being avidly discussed. One of them is Amitabh Bachchan’s look as the heroic Khudabaksh. The movie, which is set in the 1800s, talks about the rise of the British East India Company that eventually went on to rule the country. It was a challenge for costume designers Rushi Sharma and Manoshi Nath to bring alive this era, yet retain a touch of fantasy through the various clothes donned by the characters.

To ensure that Big B’s outfit echoed his valour, they combined armour and leather with traditional dhoti pants. “His character has contrasting personalities. He is a warrior, who is a farmer at heart. So, we have given him a kurta and a dhoti. The former has a cotton and a linen rib with a mulmul lining to give it that softness. On top of that, we have given him a hard armour, which brings out the fierceness of a warrior of his stature,” they explain.

It was a tough task for the actors to film the action sequences on board a ship with showers and sea waters soaking them up. However, the legend of Hindi cinema sailed through these portions.

He says, “The costume designers have gone through a long process of labour to design something. Many sequences where I had to wear the armour were shot in the rain. The drenched leather would become as heavy as wearing a metal outfit. It was cumbersome, but I think in the interest of the film and that of the character, one had to wear it.”

Aamir Khan plays Firangi, the other central character in the film, which releases on November 8. His look is a far cry from that of Big B. The actor, who essays a flamboyant and smooth-talking thug, was involved in the research and design. Says Aamir, “Whether it’s his hat, sunglasses, shoes or jacket, everything has been flicked.”

Rushi and  Manoshi add, “Firangi is a potpourri of different elements and identities stolen from people he has met. He lives up to his name with his top hat and choice of foreign liquor. He wears a leather tailcoat in jade, the colour of a chameleon. He has a chatelaine belt from which he hangs his favourite belongings and sports rose-tinted sunglasses, a mismatched pair of boots and carries an ornate leather canteen of water.”

Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; March 12, 2016)

Maxima Basu was a better choice for the biopic than Manoshi Nath and Rushi Sharma who were a little pricey
Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 24, 2015)

Maxima Basu who was an assistant director on Danny Boyle's Oscar winning Slumdog Millionaire and Ship of Theseus, and who designed the costumes for Peepli (Live) and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Goliyon Ki Raasleela: Ram-Leela, has now bagged another much-coveted project. She will style Aamir Khan for his upcoming production, Dangal, which has him playing a retired wrestler who coaches his two daughters to glory.

The Nitesh Tiwari directorial had earlier roped in Manoshi Nath and Rushi Sharma who had done the costumes for two of 2015's biggest hits, PK and Queen. Manu-Rushi, as they are fondly called, have had a long association with Aamir, having worked with him in Talaash, Dhoom 3, Satyamev Jayate and more recently PK.

"The duo had started work on the film but Aamir who is also the film's coproducer was not happy with the remuneration they quoted which didn't fit the financial framework of the project," says a source close to the production.

He wanted someone who was easy on the film's budget and also had a more realistic touch. "Maxima who had worked extensively on Peepli (Live), which was also an Aamir Khan production, and Ship of Theseus presented by wife Kiran Rao has now been roped in. And Dangal which is in pre-production, is sailing smoothly," adds the source.