Designer duo Rimple and Harpreet Narula, who started their tryst with costume making in 2018 with the magnum opus ‘Padmaavat’, have made over 300 spectacular ensembles in a span of two years for filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali yet again for his debut series ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’. Keeping in mind the theme, the designers had to work on the “historical backdrop and location” for the series to make the outfits.
Harpreet said, “It’s set in pre-partition India, specifically in the undivided Punjab region, with a focus on Lahore. This resonates deeply with us because my family comes from Gujranwala in Punjab, so I’ve grown up hearing stories about that time from my grandparents and aunts.”
He said that the project means a lot to them because it lets them imagine what life was like back then. “Even though we can’t actually go there, exploring the fashion of past times is really interesting to me. While we’ve seen movies about courtesans from places like Lahore, Lucknow, and Kolkata, ‘Heeramandi’ offers a fresh perspective on Lahore’s culture that hasn’t been seen much before.”
The designers found it fascinating to learn about people from Pakistan, or “the undivided region, who made it in the Indian film industry and to see how they dressed in their daily lives during that time.” Talking about how many outfits and how much time it took to make them, Rimple replied: “We have made over 300 outfits for the series in a span of two years.”
It wasn’t easy, as it “took extensive research to put these outfits together,” she said. “Our research was vast, starting from the era’s prominent personalities and movies to traveling to various museums and cities in order to collect vintage textiles from various regions of the world that had major influence on the northern belt of pre-partition India during that era, i.e., the 1940s.”
The duo was approached by Bhansali for ‘Padmaavat’, which released in 2018, where they styled the lead cast Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Shahid Kapoor. Their work was noticed by the filmmaker after they showcased their ensembles at the couture weeks. Harpreet said that Bhansali’s cinema and aesthetic are intricate and dreamlike.
“Every filmmaker has their own unique style, but Bhansali’s cinema and aesthetic are exceptionally intricate and dreamlike. While he draws inspiration from real research, he fearlessly creates new worlds based on his vision and conviction,” he said.
“Having collaborated with him before and stayed in touch since then, we always anticipated the day he would bring ‘Heeramandi’ to life, as it had long been on his list of projects.”
For the duo, making costumes for ‘Heeramandi’ is a “dream come true”. “The process of realising his vision is a cherished experience for us, as we delve into his creative mind, while still maintaining the artistic freedom that every artist deserves. Working on ‘Heeramandi’ with him has been another valuable opportunity for exploration and collaboration,” Harpreet said. (IANS)
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