Rekha started designing for movies with the 2018 spy thriller Goodachari, adopted by Major, Adivi Sesh’s function in HIT 2, and parts of Gaami, together with a number of music movies and internet collection.
Law to vogue design
Fashion design and cinema weren’t straightforward profession selections, Rekha remembers. Armed with a postgraduate diploma in constitutional regulation and diplomas in forensic sciences and vogue design, she laughs when requested in regards to the eclectic combine. “I come from a household that’s academically inclined. My grandfather is a retired headmaster, my mom is an educationist and my father is a lawyer with the Crime Branch, Crime Investigation Department (CBCID).”
Rekha excelled in teachers however was not drawn to drugs or engineering. When she advised her mother and father that she wished to do one thing artistic, there was resistance initially. “I studied regulation. After finishing the course, I felt the necessity to step out of the consolation zone created by my mother and father.”
Shriya as Ambica; a sketch of her ensemble | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
She persuaded her household to let her open a boutique and start designing. Then got here an surprising break: an actor walked in and requested if she might create garments for a photoshoot. That encounter set off a series of alternatives. The identical actor talked about her to a movie crew in the hunt for a fancy dress designer. “That’s how I met director Sashi Kiran Tikka, actor Adivi Sesh and the crew of Goodachari.”
Keep it actual
Rekha prefers her characters to look as lifelike as doable on display screen, an strategy that proved efficient in Goodachari and Major. “It was a proud second when the Indian Army raised no objections to the costume designs for Major (the biopic of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan) throughout approval. The uniforms for military personnel and cops had been intentionally understated in order that they wouldn’t draw consideration,” she remembers.
Since then, she has adopted a non-negotiable precept: perceive the characters and their tales completely. “Knowing a personality’s background, training, problem-solving type, and so forth makes designing a lot simpler.”
Films akin to Gaamiand Mirai required her to create appears for imagined worlds. She labored on parts of Gaami earlier than taking a maternity break.
Mirai provided Rekha a broader canvas, with characters performed by Shriya Saran, Manchu Manoj, Jayaram, Jagapathi Babu, Ritika Nayak, in addition to supporting and junior artistes. “It was difficult as a result of we didn’t take references from worldwide cinema for any of the appears,” she says.
For Shriya, who performs Ambica, the pinnacle of a religious clan, Rekha layered silk and velvet. “In the self-immolation scene, 5 totally different materials had been used: a silk skirt, a uncooked silk shirt with crochet lace, a Chinon silk dupatta with velvet accents, and so forth. Shriya’s look was wealthy but understated, reflecting a clever lady who might foresee the long run.” By distinction, Ritika Nayak, portraying a younger sadhvi, wore clothes in tender cottons.
Colours and textures
Rekha additionally included curtains, throws and blankets so as to add texture, mixing them with conventional materials. Jayaram, taking part in the sage Agastya, was wearing shawls with bordered edges and given delicate particulars, together with lengthy, darkish nails that had been barely seen on display screen.
Manchu Manoj, portraying Mahavir Lama, the malevolent determine wielding the black sword, was wearing layers of pink, black and brown. “His clothes had a number of layers, symbolising the steps he should cross to realize his damaging ambitions. Given his darkish childhood, nothing in his apparel suggests hope. The materials have a delicate lustre, reflecting the wealth he has acquired alongside along with his energy,” she explains.
Shades of black
Rekha notes a similarity between Manoj and Jagapathi Babu, who performs the elder guardian of one of many seven granths. “The black of their costumes signifies mastery of black magic. But Jagapathi Babu’s character makes use of his information for the good thing about others, so the black is softened with streaks of pink and orange.”
Manchu Manoj because the Black Sword; a sketch of his ensemble | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
She admits she misplaced depend of the variety of characters she designed. Some scenes — together with parts set on the Kumbh Mela and a track that includes Nidhhi Agerwal with a number of dancers — had been edited to scale back the movie’s period. Other sequences required costumes for characters primarily based in Japan and Morocco. “Since the movie was shot over an extended interval, a couple of of my assistants moved on. At any given time, I had a crew of two to 10 on set to streamline manufacturing and fittings.”
Rekha selected to not design for Teja Sajja’s superhero, Superyodha. “It would have been overwhelming. Every week into filming, when the makers instructed bringing another person on board, I agreed. Lanka Santoshi, who has designed for Teja’s earlier movies together with Hanu-Man, took over.”
Currently, she is engaged on Goodachari’s sequel G2, Dacoit starring Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur, Dandora with Sivaji and Laya, and a brand new movie with Sharwanand. “Among them, Dandora is a smaller movie with a hard-hitting, shifting story,” she says.
What has made her journey worthwhile is seeing her mother and father watch Mirai and admire her work. “I now perceive their preliminary reluctance to let me pursue this path. I’m glad they’re happy with what I’ve achieved.”
