Age is no deterrent to being recognised for talent. Sharvya Verma was just 17 when she entered the Telugu film industry, first as an associate for a photographer, then a TV show and then movies. After Denikaina Ready, her first project, she worked for eight films with the same production house, followed by a stint at Annapurna Studio, Suresh Productions and Ramgopal Varma. Yet, she didn’t choose fashion, fashion chose her, she claims.
While there wasn’t any scepticism about her work, she was initially asked to work for free and later even the promised amounts were never delivered.
Recognition came early. With no concept of a stylist and designer in the Telugu film industry when she began, she got a lot of media attention as the youngest designer.
Speaking of the role of a designer, she says, “The rapport with an actor is different, the style is different. No matter how funny the artiste needs to look, we maintain that style and heroic look. Earlier, for a funny song, it was a theatrical kind of dressing . Now even for a retro song, we don’t use wigs or draw eyebrows. We go with a minimalist approach. Seven years back opinions would clash. Costumers who had worked with big stars for decades had ego problems, now we have learnt to co-exist. Now every star has his or her own stylist,” she says.
Also, stylists were hired only for a song or two but never for the whole film as they are now. The first person to hire a stylist here is Allu Arjun. Till then only a costumer (dress men in Mumbai) was employed by a production company. “Allu Arjun promoted his stylist in his interviews, I made noise and got noticed on social media, and after me someone else came.”
We make sure we are well versed with the current trends and what we need to bring from the West and national market. Promotional styling started with Samantha. Before that we never put it out on social media.” . Having styled Lakshmi Manchu, Nagarjuna, Rana, Raveena Tandon, Lavanya Tripathi, PV Sindhu, she says “Two years back I wanted to quit and start a retail store. I reduced films but couldn’t say no to heroines. There is more competition amongst stylists, to score the maximum celebrities.”
On the downside, Not everyone becomes a heroine’s personal stylist for all her films. She says, “If I am someone’s personal stylist and if the hero or the director’s wife is a designer for the film, than I handle promotions only. Budget and time are limitations. The most satisfying part of the job is seeing the end product. The heroine and I only visualise how the end product will be. Procuring the accessories and stuff is difficult, sending the parcel from here to Chennai is difficult. No matter how experienced you are, you get late, and you are held accountable. Beg, borrow or steal..it has to be on time. I can’t give excuses. Though what’s beyond my control is very frustrating, seeing her glammed up and ready to face the press is satisfying.”
Isn’t the media in the South more freindly and less harsh than in Bollywood? . Shravya disagrees, “The audience here is more harsh than media itself. If I post a picture of my client, fans pull out identical stuff or references from somewhere and pull us up. In this age of social media everyone has a voice, especially the client’s fan.” However, the stylist does give social media its due, she says.Call any national designer and talk about Lakshmi Manchu, they will know who she is. The credit goes to social media and fashion game and not because of the work the actors are doing here.”
