The Beginning Of Devdas Ten days later, Sanjay called us to his office and gave each of us a bound script.
I have to get the clothes ready in six months’ time. I dive into my research. And even as I scour through reams of visual data like old, 1920-1930 photographs of Bengali families, Sanjay and Nitin came over to my studio with drawings of the sets. As they unravelled the huge manila sheets, the magnitude of the sets unfolded before my eyes. Worse, Nitin had used every colour imaginable. He really knows how to make my life difficult!
Left with a limited colour palette which I had to use cleverly, I also had to ensure that Paro stood out but didn’t look gaudy!
It was warm, vibrant tones of orange, white, red and peach for Paro then - colours which wouldn’t get intensified by the pinks and blues in her haveli . Icy blues, red, white, soft greens and lemons were my other favourites.
The second half of the movie, shot at Paro’s husband’s place, was rich in red, green and maroon. They were deep, but vibrant colours that bring out her maturity and sense of dignity. To highlight Paro’s sobriety and sadness, I worked on colours which would complement the sets and help draw attention to her face and her expressions. For instance, I used a vibrant turquoise blue which turned a deeper shade of peacock blue because it absorbed the colours of the surroundings.

At last, I am beginning to get the idea of a Bengali sari drape, but I need to capture the mood and spirit of Calcutta of the 1930s and ’40s. The deeper I delve into my study, the more confused I emerge.
My head is bursting with ideas. I see pictures of Bengali royal families dressed in puffs, frills and beautiful brocades. One picture in particular leaps to mind - a woman wearing her sari with a pair of embroidered boots.
I’ve got my look: The clothes must evoke the Calcutta of the early 1900s, but they should look contemporary enough for the audience of today to identify with.
It is a pre-Independence film. Calcutta was a pot-pourri of cross-cultural exchanges. While Britain was importing and exporting fabrics from India, India was also trading with China and Iran. These were the trade dynamics I wanted to weave into my clothes. I didn’t want a particular look.
The drape and accessorising was typically Bengali, and I used ‘imported’ weaves and motifs, besides zardosi, gara , shadow work, Chinese satin stitch embroidery and Chinese motifs.
Instead of Dhakai muslin which is stiff, I settled for Benarasi net for its sheerness and cotton for its matte look. I dyed and shaded the saris to the colours I wanted. They created the same impact as Dhakai muslin.

The cast is chosen. Shah Rukh Khan as Devdas, Madhuri Dixit as Chandramukhi and Aishwarya Rai as Paro. Madhuri Dixit requested a designer, and Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla were called in. They also designed Shah Rukh’s clothes.Do I feel unnerved? Not at all. On the contrary, it is prestigious to be working with Abu-Sandeep. I have always admired their work.
Cut To April-May 2000 The test shoot is in a couple of days. I’ve got three different looks ready.
Number 1: (Sanjay’s suggestion) Paro wears a sari without a blouse. I designed a pretty maroon cotton sari with gara work.
Number 2: For elegance and beauty, I choose a rose-pink Benarasi net sari with shadow work. Paro wears it with a puff-sleeved blouse.
Number 3: A black and gold number that looks magnificent.
The Day Of The Test Shoot