She brings colour, life into films

By Reet Singh

COSTUME designer Lovleen Bains was in Chandigarh for a well-deserved holiday, after having slogged during the making of the International film, Such a Long Journey. The film is based on a novel written by Rohinton Mistry, an Indian writer settled in Canada. It was indeed a big accomplishment for Lovleen when she was nominated for the Genie Award for excellence in costume design — the highest Canadian award which is equivalent to the Oscar in Canada — in February this year. Moreover, it was for the first time an Indian costume designer had been nominated for the award. The film starring Roshan Seth,Soni Razdan, Om Puri and Nasserudin Shah has been short entirely in India and will be released here shortly.

Another major feat for Lovleen was when she won the prestigious National Award for best costume design in 1994 for film Muhafiz (In Custody), starring Shashi Kapoor, Shabana Azami, Shushma Seth, Om Puri and Neena Gupta.

But all the accolades have not come easily for Lovleen. "I had to put in a lot of hard work for each project — sometimes working non-stop for 18 to 36 hours." Her work begins much before the shooting of the film commences.She begins with reading the complete script and simultaneously marking the requirements for each scene. The budget is prepared, followed by meetings with the director and each actor. Lovleen insists on working very closely with the director, "as he is the only one who has the complete vision of the film. He truly is the captain of the ship." A lot of research has to be done before designing the costumes. "If it’s a period film, I have to keep in mind the look of that period.I visit libraries, temples, paintings to get the right look of that particular period." Another point that Lovleen absolutely insists on is to design costumes for the entire cast of the film and not just stars alone. "Since I have worked in many international films, I realise and recognise the importance of costume continuity which has to be systematic and well planned.Sadly in most Hindi commercial films, each star has a personal designer who designs only for that one person according to the personal wishes of the star. The producer and director are at the mercy of the stars and in the bargain, the film gets affected."

It doesn’t get easy as the film progresses. "During the mela scene in Utsav, almost 800 people had to be ready by eight in the morning, which meant we had to start work at 4 am as all the clothes were draped. Jewellery which was pure silver had to be taken care of too. Lists were made of the jewellery items given to each person and at the end of the day, each item had to be collected. This continued till the completion of the film." According to Lovleen, no work is demeaning and one has to be prepared for any type of work related to the upkeep of the costume.She remembers, "During the shooting of film Heat and Dust, I used to personally wash the stockings of the lead actress Greta Scachi every night.

There is a lot of effort involved behind the final product which seems to be done so effortlessly on screen. For a scene in Kamasutra, 40 designs of cholis were made, out of which two were finally selected for the characters Maya and Tara played by Indira Verma and Savita Chowdhury. Fabric for the film had to be purchased from Bombay, Delhi, Jaipur and Khajurao depending on what is available in which city.

Lovleen is grateful for having a very efficient and supportive team of workers, assistants and craftsmen.She could not have handled any project without delegating work. The stars too are very cooperative. "In Kamasutra, actress Indira Verma had to stand still for more an hour while the pearl costume was stitched to her body. So many times one has to mould the design according to each body... that’s where the creativity comes".

Lovleen usually works on one film at a time. "For me a costume is not just a piece of cloth but has a life of its own. It helps bring to life a character in a film. For example, if a beggar is shown in a film — the clothes he wears are new but we ‘age’ them. It involves breaking down the fabric to make it look old and worn out. It is washed with wire brushes. Ambhar powder is used and fabric is put out for days in the sun to get a natural bleach".

The latest film to Lovleen’s credit is Sarfarosh. Each character has been given a particular look. "Though the film took almost four years, it was worth the hard toil after the effort is seen on the screen and appreciated. I am pleased with my contribution, especially Nasserudin’s look. Iam also grateful to the director John Mathew Mathan for taking on only one designer which is rare in Hindi cinema". She says to begin a new film is like embarking on an adventure. No one knows what will happen during the adventure. One discovers new ways of doing things as each project is different.

Apart from films like The Deceivers, Jefferson in Paris, Flames of Paradise, Jahan Tum Le Chalo, Lovleen has also done costumes for TV serials like Bombay Blues, Gaatha, Commando and an adaptation of Wuthering Heights directed by Vikram Bhatt. In theatre, she has done Saalgirah, Char Din Payar Ke, Royal Hunt of the Sun and Mahatma vs Gandhi — the play has toured England, the USA, South Africa, Singapore and Hong Kong.

She has done music videos too — Aby Baby featuring Amitabh Bachchan and Shobhna and Ramayan featuring Manisha Koirala and Arjun Rampal. In commercials, she’s done Lakme, Ariel, Pantene shampoo, Head and Shoulders, Diplomat Whisky etc. Currently, Lovleen is working on an untitled film starring Seema Biswas.

She gives credit for her success to her supportive family. In spite of having no fixed schedules, working late till the wee hours for months at a stretch and travelling to the remotest interiors in India or abroad, Lovleen loves her work. Her dedication and enthusiasm is indeed inspiring!