This is Abhishek’s interpretation inspired by that time (the 1940s). The climax takes place during Partition, but the film dwells in a fantasy world that he created with the art directors, says Manish Malhotra
Designer Manish Malhotra is making his foray into the world of historicals with Abhishek Varman’s Kalank. Though the couturier is no stranger to period dramas, having designed costumes for the historical play Mughal-e-Azam, he admits that creating outfits for a film is a different ballgame altogether, especially if it’s a project like Kalank. “This is Abhishek’s interpretation inspired by that time (the 1940s). The climax takes place during Partition, but the film dwells in a fantasy world that he created with the art directors. So, his brief for the ensembles was that they had to have a surreal, beautiful yet a simple quality,” Manish recalls.
PERIOD SETTING
The Partition era is something that’s close to the designer’s heart as his parents have seen those times. “There are so many mornings over tea when my mother discusses the lamba pauncha salwars and the way full-sleeved kurtas used a lot of chantilly lace and crochet lace,” he says. Doing a historical was exciting, more so, as he found Abhishek’s interpretation of the characters fascinating.
“When you do research for a film, it’s more than just cut and styles of that era. Knowing a script and studying the characters thoroughly is also an important part. What are the characters doing, who are they as people, what are they going through — for me, that’s important to know. So, whether it’s the three men — Sanjay Dutt, Varun Dhawan and Aditya Roy Kapur, or the three women — Madhuri Dixit, Alia Bhatt and Sonakshi Sinha — they are all differently styled because they are distinct people going through diverse experiences,” Manish adds.
Manish Malhotra
DIFFERENT PEOPLE, DIFFERENT STYLES
Talking about Satya, played by Sonakshi, Manish says that her saris have been kept subtle and subdued, as her character is facing a crisis in the film. “There is only one flamboyant red sari she wears because that’s the only celebration we see her in,” he states. For Roop, played by Alia, Manish gave her colours corresponding with her situation in life. “Initially, you see her in pastels, whereas in the more intense phases, we have given her deeper shades,” he adds. He gave Madhuri deep tones because of the legacy she carries. “Also, the fact that she’s lonely and she loves the art of dressing up because that’s the only thing she has in her life,” he says.
Manish used a lot of antique borders including crochet thread and resham thread, too. “We incorporated a bit of sozni, Kashmiri and Persian touch giving an intricate version to Madhuri’s ghararas and shararas,” he reveals.
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 "Alia Bhatt, Sonakshi Sinha and Madhuri Dixit")
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