They`ve got the look

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Those who've watched the trailers of Once Upon A Time In Mumbaai couldn't have missed the retro look that the movie is sporting. The filmmakers have gone to great lengths to ensure that the film replicates the look and feel of Mumbai from the '70s—down to the last buttons—for this film is set in that period. "Just like the cinematography and art direction are important, the styling of a film is crucial to setting the right visual tone," says Rushi Sharma, who, along with Manoshi Nath, is responsible for getting the film's actors into the appropriately high-waisted and polka-dotted attire.Authenticity in film styling is suddenly taking centrestage. The role of a stylist is much better defined now. "Our brief is not to simply make the characters look good. The actors have to be able to slip into the skin of their characters and it is our costumes that enable them to do so," adds Nath. "We had to showcase Emraan Hashmi's brash, over-confident persona. We did that through the use of flashy houndstooth suits, leather jackets, satin printed shirts and crocodile skin shoes." Designer Kunal Rawal had to extend similiar help to the male characters in Aisha. "The world that these characters live in is very upper-class Delhi. We interacted with young people from these circles on Twitter and Facebook to figure out how they dress," Rawal reveals. It's not just the ladies' costumes that are getting lots of attention. Actors too are literally slipping into their characters' shoes. For example, Abhay Deol, whose nattily-dressed Arjun in Aisha is as much a result of research, as was his rebellious, low-waisted denim and Aviators-donning Dev, from Dev D.According to Niharika Khan, who has styled for movies like Rock On!! and Karthik Calling Karthik, the move towards greater authenticity as opposed to pure glamour is a relatively new change, albeit a welcome one. "These days, the character that a particular actor is playing is the prime parameter in deciding the look. It wasn't always the case in India, where actors have always been stars." A major example of this is Amitabh Bachchan, who in his heydays, never went beyond his flared pants and wide collars, but is now increasingly experimenting with his looks, whether in Cheeni Kum or Sarkar. Ranbir Kapoor epitomises the chameleon-like qualities of actors, as is evident in his drastically different looks in movies like Wake Up Sid, Rocket Singh and Raajneeti.Many factors influence a film's styling. The period that it is set in is most prominent among them, as demonstrated by Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and Action Replayy (which is also set in the '70s). But the mood and the geographical setting play a role too. For Lamhaa, a political-drama that unfolds in Kashmir, stylist Shabina Khan had the characters don pherans and shalwars. "I had to study images of ordinary Kashmiris." In essence, it's not just period epics that demand research; even a contemporary movie like Ishqiya, which was set in rural Uttar Pradesh, pays great attention to local trends, from Vidya Balan's garishly-patterned saris to Arshad Warsi's facial hair and kohl-lined eyes.The mood of a character or scene is another important factor. While stylist Pernia Qureshi and make-up artist Namrata Soni have stuck to subdued makeup and ultra-feminine touches like lace and headbands for Sonam Kapoor, who plays Aisha, there are also scenes with different looks. "There is a salsa scene where, from being a girly-girl, Aisha transforms into a sultry woman. She was out-of-character, so to speak, and to reflect that, we've given her big curly hair and smoky eyes," says Soni.There is, however, still a thin line that stylists have to tread between authenticity and glamour. Neeta Lulla, who's known for her lavish period styling for movies like Devdas and Jodhaa Akbar, says that while a stylist's responsibility does lie towards ensuring that a film looks just right, it is ultimately a commercial venture that has to sell for its larger-than-life image. "A film has to be visually appealing, because people still look to the movies to set fashion trends." But again, it depends on the kind of film that one is working on. "In Jodhaa Akbar, it would've looked fake if I hadn't made Aishwarya (Rai Bachchan) wear the intricate and expensive jewellery. There was enough scope for both glamour and authenticity to co-exist. On the other hand, for the under production Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Say, there is no scope for any glamour. Which is why Deepika's (Padukone) face is nude, her hair is in pigtails and she's wearing cotton saris." Khan agrees. "You can take a certain artistic licence. Stick to authenticity in the overall look, but add a touch of glamour in the small details. The best are the dream sequences, of course, where you can completely let yourself go," she adds.

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