Umrao Jaan is all about costume design, says Surily Goel

Surily Goel, the stylist of films like Salaam Namaste and Saawariya talks of five films that had outstanding costume design.

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998)
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (KKHH) signalled the beginning of a new fashion mantra in our films, taking the glam factor in Hindi cinema to a new level. It was among the first films which didn’t just pay attention to the costumes of the characters, but their entire styling. Rani Mukherji had already made her debut in another film, but KKHH was the one she got noticed in, and her look in the film was amazing. Manish Malhotra was responsible for the way fashion changed in our films, and his work in other films around the same time, like Raja Hindustani and Rangeela was path-breaking too. With Manish, it wasn’t about making people wear good clothes, but making them wear clothes that suited them.

Umrao Jaan (1981)

The entire look of Umrao Jaan was outstanding. Rekha just looked stunning in the film, she was a role model for anyone aspiring to be fashionable. Watching Umrao Jaan gives you a perspective on what costumes in a film is all about. The detailing, the flair, the cuts, the movement of the dress when Rekha danced, all of it created a mesmerising effect. The period setting of Umrao Jaan gave its designer (Subhashini Ali) the scope to create magic.

Souten (1983)

Souten is memorable mainly for the costumes Tina Munim wore in it. Tina always looked good in her films, and her styling played a huge role. Of course, whoever styled her in her films was largely responsible for it, but she was someone who always dressed well anyway. She was way ahead of her time when it came to fashion — the one-shouldered dress, the blouses, the way she did her hair — all of those style statements have come back in our films.

Devdas (2002)
Watching any Sanjay Leela Bhansali film is like watching art in motion. Every detail of every frame, every shot is picture perfect. His films have a heightened sense of ‘cinema’ in them. You don’t dress like any of the characters in Bhansali’s films, but you enjoy watching them. The last shot of Devdas, with Aishwarya Rai running towards a dying Shah Rukh, was a lovely shot — her long sari, and the pallu flying behind her added to the drama. Madhuri Dixit looked mindblowing too, in the dance sequences especially. Watching Aishwarya and her, both style icons, in one frame was a great moment for me. Apart from the women, Shah Rukh Khan’s attire was perfect for the setting too.

Sex And The City (2008)
For any person interested in fashion, Sex And The City (SATC) is the ultimate film, or TV show. Most characters in films follow the latest trends; SATC sets trends. Every season of the show, and every film, has a research team working on what fashion brands would be coming out with in the future, and procure the clothes and accessories before they hit markets. By the time the film releases, the clothes hit the stands too. The film/TV show is aspirational for any hardcore shopper. It’s almost impossible to imagine something of that kind being executed in our films, but if it can be it would be amazing. I’d love to work on a movie like that.