Sridevi's outfit in 'Lamhe' had to be painted by hand to match her vision
Mumbai, July 28
National Award-winning costume designer Neeta Lulla has recalled going the extra mile to bring Sridevi's vision to life for "Lamhe", revealing how the late star's request for a rare bandhani outfit led her to hand-paint the fabric herself after failing to find the desired design in the market.
Neeta shared a video of herself talking about making the outfit for the 1991 Yash Chopra directorial, which had the actress in a dual role as both mother and daughter, and Anil Kapoor. The film also had Waheeda Rehman, Anupam Kher, Deepak Malhotra, and Dippy Sagoo.
"Sometimes the simplest outfits require the maximum amount of work. There were two scenes in the film where Sridevi wanted a bandhani skirt with a crop top. One was in a shopping sequence, and the other was when she was narrating her story in front of a palace," Neeta said in the video.
She added: "The colors required were a blue bandhani and a maroon bandhani. How difficult is it to get a blue or a maroon bandhani? Not difficult, right? But here was the catch. Sridevi said, "Can I get a white bandhani on maroon and a yellow bandhani on blue?" That was absolutely difficult to find."
"So, what do we do? I asked the master to make the outfits, took them home with fabric paints, and actually painted white bandhani on the maroon fabric and yellow bandhani on the blue fabric. When I took them back and we did the fittings with her, she said, 'It feels slightly stiff. What is it?' Because bandhani doesn't usually feel stiff. I said, 'I painted the bandhani.' She had such a laugh about it."
"We don't give up. We just do whatever it takes-whether it's painting, stitching, embroidering, or anything else. But that is the beauty and the fun of creating film costumes."
She wrote in the caption: "..The best creative decisions are often made when difficulty arises. No hesitation. No compromise. Just instinct, and the determination to bring a vision to life, exactly when it was needed on the film sets of Lamhe for Sridevi.."
— IANS
Reader Comments
Honestly, this shows how much effort went into filmmaking back then. Today everything is fast fashion and quick fixes. Sridevi's attention to detail is legendary - no wonder she was called the first female superstar of Indian cinema. Lamhe remains one of Yash Chopra's finest works.
🎭 This is why Sridevi is irreplaceable! She didn't just wear costumes, she lived them. And Neeta Lulla - what a rockstar! Painting bandhani dot by dot? That's some serious commitment. Bollywood was truly lucky to have such passionate artists.
I love how Neeta Lulla didn't say no to her request even when it seemed impossible. That's the difference between a true artist and someone just doing their job. Sridevi's laugh when she found out it was hand-painted must have been priceless! 😄
While I appreciate the artistry, I wonder if we sometimes over-romanticize such efforts. A simpler fabric might have worked just as well for the scene, but I guess that's the difference between a star like Sridevi and the rest. Respect to both for their passion.
This brings back so many memories! Lamhe was such a progressive film for its time - a mother-daughter story with Sridevi playing both roles. And the costumes were just stunning. Bandhani is such a traditional Indian craft, and Sridevi knew exactly what would pop on screen. Jai ho to the magic of old Bollywood! 🙌
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