| Ace fashion designer and stylist Anna Singh is having a philosophy clash while dressing contenders of Nach Baliye (Star One). Her latest do with the telly block has left the designer fuming and fretting after consecutive attempts to reason with the actors.
Her allegations? "Television actors have the tendency to overdress and look garish. In the process, they lose their original personality in a bid to lap up that extra funk," she says. Film-centric focus
It all started in September, when the channel approached the designer to provide a new look for the actors, devoid of the character touches they are popular for. The designer confesses the "film-centric focus" of the show
appealed to her while taking it up.
| | | The jhatak look is in: Archana Puran Singh and Parmeet Sethi | Says Singh, who has been designing for Bollywood for years now, "In nearly 45 per cent of the songs chosen, I had worked out the clothes and look of the actors in the original sequence.
The challenging part involved relating it to telly actors, who may not have the perfect body type, hairdo and dancing skills." After a few sessions and intense discussions, Anna realised that the contenders were looking for "heavy colours, heavy jewellery and heavy embroidery." Herd mentality
| | | Leopard skin and leather look: Shilpa Saklani and Apoorva Agnihotri | The show, designed to test the mettle of the actor while shaking a leg or two, did not require the contenders to conform to a "heavy look."
Adds Singh, "I realise that television is moving on to a new level and they're trying to be mainstream. But that doesn't mean they have to put on too much make-up and forget subtlety. They've developed this herd mentality when it comes to dressing, which I did not want."
Anna condemned the riot of colours in Star Parivar Dandiya Dhoom, Star Plus's Navratri show. "In that entire band, only actor Jeetendra made his presence felt, in a black Jodhpuri suit. Otherwise, everybody looked the same." Defending Dandiya Dhoom
Defending the show, Nirmala Sood, costume designer for Balaji Telefilms, says, "Star wanted the episode to be colourful and vibrant. Why should people continue to watch daily soaps if you don't have that added attraction in the form of clothes and jewellery? It will become as pheeka as Doordarshan programmes. As for people dabbing on too much make-up, I can't help it. It's a license they take. But I always keep a check so that artistes don't go haywire with their looks. " Social responsibility
Meanwhile, Anna asserted the need for designers to get socially responsible and cease to make disastrous moves in the name of fashion statements. "We cannot impose wrong trends on viewers. Creativity may be all about experimenting, but not driving odd trends in the market." sandipan.dalal@mid-day.com |
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