Shahid Kapoor's 'Padmavati' costumes took 4 months, 22 artists to make

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is synonymous with larger-than-life cinema. His upcoming period drama, Padmavati, is no exception. Much like Deepika Padukone's avatar of Rani Padmini made waves, Shahid Kapoor's first look as Maharawal Ratan Singh too became the talking point upon its release yesterday. With his ornate costumes, well-sculpted body and a full beard, Kapoor looks majestic and fierce in equal parts.

Shahid Kapoor in 'Padmavati'

Designers Rimple and Harpreet Narula tell mid-day that designing the actor's look has been an arduous task. "There is tremendous research that has gone behind every costume that Shahid will be seen wearing in the film," begins Harpreet.

She goes on to add how in a bid to retain the authenticity of the film, everything - from the clothing styles prevalent in the 14th century to the weather of Chittor - was taken into consideration while zeroing in on the costumes. "We sourced organic fabrics from Rajasthan that were then embroidered by hand by 22 local artisans. We have stuck to pure muslin cloth as the base, and then used vegetable dye or hand dye. While we tried to use hues that are associated with masculinity, we also had to balance it with brighter colours, since Rajasthani outfits are all about colour at the end of the day."

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The four-month-long process took them to museums in Jaipur and Ahmedabad for research. Rimple adds, "Many samples of antique textiles and costumes from that period are dispersed in various museums all over the world. So, our dreams of visiting these museums was realised as we collated all the necessary information. We visited the Calico Museum and several museums in Jaipur."

Admitting that working with Bhansali was a learning experience, the duo was thrilled when their practice of picking up antiques from flea markets came in handy for the film. "We would often collect old fabrics, or buy antiques like brooch or pins from flea markets. We've used these trinkets in Padmavati."

Photos: Malaika Arora, Kareena Kapoor Khan at Isha Ambani's bash