Celluloid Couture
as written by

SREEMOYEE PIU KUNDU

for The Times of India 

Jodhpur-based designer Raghavendra Rathore's involvement with director Vidhu Vinod Chopra's multi-star cast Eklavya slated for release next year goes beyond costume designing.

Inspired by a Shakespearean drama about a Rajasthani royal family, the mythological film is in Rathore's words, "An opportunity to recreate the authenticity of Rajasthani life as it existed in history books of the past."

Vidhu Vinod Chopra adds, "We roped him in to add a dash of authenticity in a world where time stood still." Rathore himself hails from a royal Rajput family.

"This is the second time I'm designing for Amitabh Bachchan (Rathore had designed for KBC in its first season).

He plays Eklavya - a royal bodyguard and his clothes all in dark colours impart a sense of swiftness. We've given him an authentic look complete with the achkan, kamarband and a turban.

Designer Raghavendra Rathore brings Rajasthan to Bollywood

For Sanjay Dutt who plays a police inspector, we've experimented with slim silhouettes in a combination of lycra and cotton fabrics.

Saif plays a prince who returns to his roots upon his mother's demise. I've used a lighter colour palette and lots of stylish, casual western wear. He'll be seen in a lot of riding breeches which are replacing the churidar teamed with silk, kantha work kurtas," he says.

Rathore hopes the film will herald the return of traditionalism with a dash of modernity.