They had always watched their onscreen idols in their glam avatars and wondered if they would ever be able to afford designer clothes and top-of-the-line make-up products. Though they were content with the lives they led, there was always that little dream to make it big and afford luxury, even if on a small scale. That is when the Hindocha family decided to step in and help four underprivileged couples in the city afford a day of luxury and a chance to dress like the stars.
Designer brothers Tejas and Harish Hindocha along with their wives Rina and Esha have always believed in giving back to society in their own way, especially when they have reasons to celebrate. And this time when the family realised that Esha was in the family way they thought there was no better way than to help make somebody’s life better in whatever small way they could. “It so happened that a few months ago when I was getting ready to head out my domestic help couldn’t help but ask me where I got my clothes from and how much they cost. That is when I realised that she wanted to dress better too and couldn’t afford it. That got us thinking about how we could probably give a complete image makeover to a few people,” says Esha, who handles the marketing for Evolve, the designer studio run by the family.
Harish, the younger of the two brothers, adds that it has been a practice in the family to do their bit for those in need on a regular basis. “Our parents have always encouraged us to get involved in charity. When we decided to give four couples a fashion makeover, we asked around and short-listed these four couples – an auto driver and an aspiring scriptwriter, a painter, a junior artiste and a photographer. What we did was design clothes for all eight of them based on their personalities and tastes. We also roped in a reputed make-up artiste to give them a new look and then had a photo shoot at Alankritha resorts a couple of weeks back. The resort has also offered a free night stay to each of the couples,” says Harish.
The four couples, who come from different backgrounds, also walked the ramp at Muse Art Gallery on Saturday in their new looks and got to meet V.V.S. Laxman and Sekhar Kammula. Take for instance L. Ramakrishna, an auto driver and aspiring script-writer, who was thrilled at the opportunity to meet Sekhar Kammula. “All I am looking for is that one chance to make a mark and being able to meet the filmmaker was a great opportunity. Also my wife and I have always looked at filmstars but never thought we could one day look like them. Even if this makeover was for just a day, it felt great to have the spotlight on us and it is a memory we will cherish for life,” he says.
Incidentally, Ramakrishna wanted to wear a lungi like Pawan Kalyan. “Each one of them wanted to look like their favourite stars. What we did instead was designed well-fitted sherwanis, offbeat saris and flowy lehengas for them,” says Esha.
The designers say that based on the success of this year’s event they plan to make it an annual affair and also might take it forward and set up a foundation for people like them. “The makeover is a small part of it. If any of the couples get noticed and get an opportunity through this event to make it big then we will definitely take the cause further,” says Harish.
