Behind every successful man there is a woman, and behind the Sher-E-Balochi look of Akshaye Khanna in the viral Dhurandhar song stands this young woman — costume designer Smriti Chauhan. Post the mega success of Aditya Dhar’s directorial, Smriti may not have become a household name and in her words ‘life is almost the same,’ yet she is thoroughly enjoying Dhurandhar’s success.
Designing for a star cast which boasts of superstars like Ranveer Singh did give her butterflies in the stomach. However, one meeting with all the big stars put her at ease. Today, she has no hesitation in sharing that creating Ranveer’s look was most exciting. “He is always open to new ideas and experimentation,” she says.
Equally joyous was dressing up Akshaye Khanna as Rehman Dakait. The challenge lay in how to make him stand out among the bevy of his other gang members, all dressed in Pathani suits. She recalls, “Apart from Pathanis, we gave him kurta and denims for the distinctive look which also went with his character who rose from the streets to become this powerful person.”
For others like Major Iqbal (Arjun Rampal), there was not much information in public domain, providing her a blank canvas to let imagination soar. For Arshad Pappu (Ashwin Dhar), she spent the longest time, if not sleepless nights, to crack his look.
Despite all the rigour, today as she sits back, she ponders, “Maybe those buttons could have been different, flair more enhanced, a cut more precise.” Yet, there is no denying she nailed the Pakistani look for which she gives credit to her director Aditya and his AD Ojas Gautam. She shares, “We wanted to bust the notion that women in Pakistan only dress conservatively. So, we added style and oomph to their attire.”
If clothes maketh a man, costumes, she admits, “is only quarter of the story and the real character comes alive when actors infuse flesh and blood into it.” Precisely why, she does not care to push actors out of their comfort zone and believes in making it a collaborative process. Being on the same page can be challenging. “These are not only seasoned actors but also opinionated,” she says.
But then patience is a lesson she is learning from her ‘insanely patient’ director Aditya. From others like Richie Mehta for whom she has worked in Delhi Crime Season 1 and much feted Poacher too, she has understood the mantra of ‘letting go.’
Belonging to a family of film buffs, cinema was an organic choice, only costume designing happened by chance. Working as an AD for Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai, a period film, her inputs on costumes were most appreciated. Thus self-confessed ‘headless chicken’ transformed into a designer who loves to research thoroughly.
However, her research pales in comparison to the makers of Tummbad which happened to her when she had barely two films up her sleeve. She shares, “Every single suggestion which I made was traced to see if it was in sync with the period in which the fantasy horror was set.”
For all those who do not understand the technicalities of her demanding profession, she says, “What we do is not simply peel costumes off the rack, but dress up characters so it does not scream for attention but blends with the narrative.”
Then there are constraints. She laughs, “Chances of finding a producer who will give unlimited money for costumes are dimmer than spotting a unicorn.” But for someone who abides by the golden rule, ‘if you do not question what life is giving you, yet maneuver things where you want to go’ has found her path on which she ‘walks like a princess.’
The end goal for her is not a definitive milestone but one mountain peak after another. Dhurandhar sure was one such arduous ascent, but equally exhilarating. Watch her flex her designing muscles, even more creatively in Dhurandhar 2 where the actor we should be looking out for, is who else but her favourite Ranveer. The stylist in her, by the way, is all eyes for Diljit Dosanjh, rating the singer-actor as the most stylish person in the glam world.
