Making Ash look like Umrao

Designer Anna Singh is not new to Bollywood.

Best known for making Madhuri Dixit's saris a rage in Hum Aapke Hain Koun, Anna's been around since 1989. And she's played the period game before, with films like Mumtaz Mahal. Still, she admits JP Dutta's new film wasn't easy. "Dressing Aishwarya Rai for Umrao Jaan was tough. The challenge was to be able to take the look to an iconic level."

Accompanied by her sketches of the costumes and characters, here's what Anna told Priyanka Jain...

Umrao Jaan: Aishwarya Rai

"Aishwarya's outfits go through four transitions in the movie, depicting the phases of Umrao's life. One gold outfit is made with refined resham cloth of pure silver. For this outfit, I have referred to the book, The Motifs of 1800s. The fabric has been re-embroidered, done in salma and sitara work. There are motifs of flowerpots, peacocks, little birds flying, and elephants, etc., as was popular in those days. The concept is unconventional and has a classic, period quality.

The gulband style is the way the people of Lucknow wore it -- little pieces of jewellery sewn with different stones like rubies."

"The song Jhoote Ilzaam depicts her anguish and anger, so a deep shade of burgundy was used. It is a jewelled outfit with diamond stones in brick-style embroidery. There is a golden patti, Lucknowi artwork in enamel in sapphire blue and emerald green. Aishwarya's jewellery has been made in silver, coated with gold.

It is not clear if Umrao really existed or was a pigment of [Urdu novelist, Mirza Mohammed Haadi] Ruswa's imagination. As no research was available on her, we have treated it as an art form. JP Dutta had asked for specific colours. We specially created some colours and a lot of textures, that were then treated, twisted and crushed for surface treatment. I followed Aishwarya's personality, the character she played, and the director's brief."

Nawab Sultan: Abhishek Bachchan

"We have dressed Abhishek in a conventional achkan embroidered with antique beaten gold and gold chikan-kari work.

His kurta is made with chikan work in typical Lucknow style and khulla (loose) pyjamas with pointed juttis. He also wear formal safas (turbans) made with silver-encrusted silk."

Khanam: Shabana Azmi

"Khanam is the diva in the film. Her wardrobe comprises a skirt made of 12 metres of fabric. The authentic name for it is farshi, as it sweeps the floor. This is ensembled with a short kurti, odhanis and a shawl. Her clothes have been embroidered in gold gota kari work with semi precious stones.

Shabanaji has worked in films like that before, so her inputs helped take the movie to another level. At one point, her mother Shaukat Azmi [who played the same role in the original Umrao Jaan] came along to help us pick material."

Faiz Ali: Sunil Shetty

"Sunil's character Faiz is a mysterious man. We have used colours like black and white, depicting the mood and character of the person. He has been dressed in a Pathan style, with a beautiful, long jhabba, a big salwar with a small koti-like waistcoat, a small achkan made of jewelled fabric along with a cummerbund that holds his sword -- a sign of noblemen in those days.

We used Peshawari style headgear with an 8-metre long drape, jewelled neckpiece, ring and a handpiece in old beaded gold."

'I am inspired by Rekha, but I cannot ape her'

When you do a google search on Aishwarya Rai, you will find more than three million web pages dedicated to her. Her picture is one of the most downloaded ones on the Net. Such is the charisma of the stunning actress.

This, considering she has had only three hits (Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Taal and Devdas) in her nine-year career.

The actress spoke to Priyanka Jain about her new film, Umrao Jaan, which hits theatres on November 3.

On being compared with Rekha, star of the original Umrao Jaan

For me, as an actor, it's a special experience to get the opportunity to play Umrao Jaan who has been already iconised on our celluloid. When I played Paro in Devdas, I went through the same area of questioning about how my role will be compared with the ones played earlier. Thanks to the support of the audience, an incredible film like Devdas made by Sanjay Leela Bhansali was appreciated. That strengthened my belief that in the world of cinema, we are here to tell a story for today's audience. Each time a story is told or retold, it is the interpretation of that director, told in his language of cinema. What I consider a blessing in my career is the opportunity to have essayed such incredible characters on screen -- be it from the contemporary or modern times, from classics, biographies or earlier films. This has enriched made my time in cinema. But it's an honour to be even spoken about in the same breath as Rekhadi because she is my senior; somebody I respect and admire. I shared a special connection with her even before I joined the film industry. Once I was at a store near my home. She stopped her car, came to me and said, 'You are mine and you are going to be here (film industry) for a long time.' It's so special that today I have the chance to play the character that she is synonymous with.

Rekha is very inspiring. It is not necessarily relative to just one performance, but her entire career, the span of characters that she has essayed, the performances that she has delivered itself is extremely inspiring. I am inspired by her performance. But I cannot ape her.

On playing Umrao Jaan

Playing Umrao Jaan was a demanding emotional journey. When a story takes that course, it is following an entire arc; it goes through all the possible emotions. The process was satisfying, inspiring and challenging. It forced me to deliver the best in every moment. I always enjoyed music and dance and its translation on celluloid. I had always been greedy to work with this combination of director J P Dutta, lyricist Javed Akhtar and music composer Anu Malik because their music is very beautiful. Performing to the songs was very memorable. Each song was a part of the narrative, part of Umrao's journey.

Since our generation speaks English, we are not very fluent in Hindi, leave alone Urdu. I loved those dialogues and the experience to work and know about that era. For me, it was a study of Urdu on the sets under the guidance of JP and Javed saab.

On director J P Dutta

J P Dutta is a committed taskmaster. I have danced to songs before. But he always added to choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant's steps, and that was quite challenging. He would shoot an entire mukhda in one shot. To do all the songs at that level required remaining focused at all times. In that moment, I felt I became Umrao Jaan.

It was interesting to deliver a performance that shows her passionate but tragic story. The film is also reflective of the art that was at its zenith in that era. The sex trade was called the performing arts then and not prostitution.

On her chemistry with Abhishek

We deliver our performances and the first person we need to satisfy is our director. Then, we hear your verdict and that of our audiences.

Abhishek Bachchan quietly commits himself to the character with fascinating depth. There is not much show about it, but he is clued in. JP and he share a special bond (Abhishek made his debut in JP Dutta's Refugee) and that was evident on the sets. They just need to signal to each other and they would know exactly what is expected.