Film stars have long been the trendsetters for the fashion-conscious folks, be it Kareena Kapoor Khan rocking maternity fashion recently or Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s much-talked-about “smurf” lips. However, it would be foolish to equate the clothes an actor wears in films to those they wear off-screen, at award functions or on the ramp.
To help break down the differences and take us into the world of costume designing and styling, The Hindu spoke with Sheetal Sharma, the man behind Shah Rukh Khan’s avatar in Raees .
“Fashion designers create clothes for the ramp and for people to aspire for, whereas costume designers and stylists create a character exclusively within a film,” says Sharma. “I have to understand the character in the script and create their style in such a way that it blends with the film.”
The collaborative medium that cinema is, one often overlooks the massive crew behind a production, instead focusing on the chosen few. What if Aamir Khan wore leather jackets in Dangal or Deepika Padukone wore denims in Bajirao Mastani ? The visual presentation falls under the purview of the costume designer, who then creates the look required to lend authenticity to the character. Sharma also reveals a specific mantra he has followed in every film, the conscious decision to avoid any similarities between the actor’s on-screen and off-screen style.
When Sharma was offered Raees , Rahul Dholakia, the director, didn’t reveal which actor Sharma would be styling, lest preconceived notions curb his creativity.
Sharma concurs. “I would probably have not experimented with the look, had I known it was Shah Rukh. That was the best exercise Rahul did with me.” By the time Khan came on board, the look had been finalised, yet what the actor himself has added to the look is tremendous, feels Sharma. “Be it the way he carried the Pathani kurta with rolled-up sleeves or his gait and his voice, Shah Rukh just evolved to become his character in the film,” says Sharma, lauding the superstar for his inputs during the look tests.
Sharma recalled an incident, when Khan first wore the black Pathani suit in Mehboob Studios as a trial. Everyone stopped working and stared at him. “That’s when I felt half of my job is done,” laughs Sharma.
Working with Khan in Raees after Don 2 , was a completely different ball game. What made his job easier was the fact that Khan himself is open to experimentation and personally loves simplicity. Clearly a fan of the actor, Sharma gushes, “Whatever he [Khan] wears, he makes it look good.” Skeptical of making Khan wear aviators and adding surma, it was the actor himself who was game to try it on. The result is clear for all to see.
Another actor Sharma particularly enjoyed styling was Kangana Ranaut in Katti Batti . The bohemian look sported by the actor was widely appreciated even though the film didn’t work any magic at the box office.
Sharma’s personal sense of style, matches Khan’s look in Dear Zindagi, comfortable yet chic.
“Linen pants and shirts are a personal favourite, regardless of the weather. I also love vintage fashion like bowties, suspenders and high-waist pants.”
Sharma is conspicuously aware of stereotypical fashion trends associated with a certain era, such as the 1980s (polka dots and bellbottoms) or 1960s (short dresses and bold colours). However, having studied fashion, Sharma’s work reflects understated trends such as white or checked shirts, beige trousers or kurta-pyajama, which he believes are evergreen and relatable.
Sharma arrived on the scene six years ago, armed with a degree in fashion and textile from WLCI College in Mumbai and has been working non-stop ever since. With projects like Raees , Airlift , Katti Batti , Hero , Bobby Jasoos and an ongoing television show — Nikhil Advani’s P. O.W- Bandi Yuddh Ke on Star Plus — under his belt, he has become a force to reckon with.
Affable and easygoing, Sharma doesn’t underplay the efforts that go into his work. He goes on to break the myth about styling being a glamourous line of work just because one gets to work with film stars.
He warns aspiring stylists and costume designers, “Buying readymade clothes from stores and putting them together will get you nowhere. One needs to understand the demands of the character, work from scratch on everything from the fabric to the details of stitching as well as the accessories,” he says.
