Budget issues have always been there in the movie industry but after the second wave of the pandemic hit us, every production big and small are slashing budgets. There is a huge supply of celebrity stylists growing and all of them are eager to make it somehow and now spelling longer hours at lower pay. Rajini has made her debut just a few years back and has made swift inroads into the industry. She is hardworking, has empathy for her fellow workers and is a producer’s girl always trying to optimise cost. Her focus is on her work always and steers clear from any controversy. Y. Sunita Chowdhary of Klapboardpost.com talks to the sane and sensible Rajini and takes her insight of the Telugu film industry.
A quick learner: I am from Dharmavaram, a place famous for silk sarees. My mother has a fine taste and she would be updated in fashion and would always dress us well. I guess I picked up the art of dressing from her. I was working in the HR department and took a break, began research on fabrics, nativity and materials like Kalamkari, Banaras, Pochampally, Chanderi etc. All that got me excited and I visited all the places where the fabric originated and was manufactured. I could make out the difference between pure and semi pure and that led me on to learn the craft in NIFT. I also gradually began my own start up and in this process, I met Dil Raju and the rest is history. I am glad that I learnt just not the fundamentals about fabrics and designs before I stepped into the movie field as a designer and a stylist. There was a lot more to learn after I got into films too. One primary habit I picked up and continued was…no matter who you are and whatever you are, once you are committed to a project, you need to be on time and there can’t be any short cuts. Also instead of spending money unnecessarily, it always helps to be creative and if you design rather than purchasing ready made stuff. For a stylist to survive here i.e if you don’t have a god father or a Mumbai back up, all that comes to your aid is hard work, creativity and a straightforward nature. Fortunately directors of this generation are knowledgeable and are encouraging newcomers, they know how to control the budget and understand that if they make profits, producers will give them one more opportunity.
My assignments: Earlier I was a designer and did personal styling for a couple of heroines and then moved to do styling of films. My career in the film industry began around 2017-18 with Venu Sreeram’s MCA. During the narration time, if we become a member of the team and be part of the discussions, it is feasible to finish 80 percent of the work. On the sets there will be add ons, instant work and it is a bit stressful but overall the burden will be less. I styled Sai Pallavi (MCA), Rashmika (Dear Comrade) and Shekar Kammula’s Love Story (the entire film except Naga Chaitanya). Except for the lead pair in Vakeel Saab, I styled the entire team and a couple of web series (Bad Trip, Baker and the Beauty).
Need for suitable clothes: The production and the director always want the best for the lead actors in a film, but even then we have so many stylists for one film. The reason is, by the time the lead pair gets into a current project, they would have already had a stylist who had worked with them, knows, understands their body type and tastes. When it comes to new comers and freshers, I don’t think they demand, they go with what the production gives them. There should be understanding from both sides, be it from the producer or the artist. Actors should understand that the stylist is struggling to merge the character and the costume. Before we all stepped in here, there were costume chiefs who were skilled and resourceful. They have been here for ages. They were the designers and could grasp anything and would be great trouble shooters. The point here is they are not updated and since fashion is evolving throughout and this generation has the latest ideas….preference is given to the newcomers. Any designer can take the entire responsibility of the film but there are designers, who don’t have experience and capability. Some don’t listen to the story and are eager and in a hurry to showcase their knowledge and talent rather than focus on the character and artist requirement. People should connect with it. These designers just want to show the leads in a beautiful manner but they should know they don’t need good clothes, they need suitable clothes.
Practical problems: We do discuss budgets with the budget controllers. With my experience, I can say that however costly the dress of an artist is, it doesn’t cross 10 to 15 thousand rupees. Designers charge more for their brand label. The producers can’t say no to lead artistes and their choice of stylists because only when they are comfy, they can do better acting which is what the producers think. It is a give and take process. Whenever I go to a production house, I tell them to pay me well. I don’t take my pay from the budget allotted to the costumes. Honestly speaking, it is all about hard work and output. Even if the Mumbai designer doesn’t give a good output and if the film doesn’t work, these stylists won’t be seen again.
Budget control must come from all departments: Inflated bills not done: There are certain people who produce genuine bills but they come with high brands and the label runs into lakhs. If the production wants, a stylist can be asked to get a lesser price say fifty thousand Rs. If the director wants the richness and quality to be visible, the designers bring that only. The budget control should be a team work from all departments and not just styling. By giving work to local people, multiple people not only get a job to do but also it is a sort of encouragement to local designers and expenditure on flight tickets, assistants, vehicles will be reduced. I don’t mean to randomly pick local designers. See their work and give them work repeatedly. I have five interns who are very talented and it is important that I keep them happy and I need my assistants when I go shopping.
The pros and cons of social media: The internet is promoting every field and the social media influence on people is 80 percent. During Covid, the people had enough time to look only at websites. The celebrity stylists should prove themselves and only then people will approve them. How does a stylist build a strategy or a brand for a client? I check if she is capable of carrying western or Indo western, I see their personality. Heroines these days are believing in stylists and designers and also they too know the exposure and advantage of social media exposure. It is good to have a trial before an event and when there is a confusion, they consult us and we tell them honestly if it is looking odd on them or not. Actresses begin their career in a slightly orthodox way and slowly start revealing. Are they aping others or is it insecurity, losing out on films? Sometimes they want to prove that they can carry any type of costume equally well. Actually, due to the characters they get in films, they don’t get to look glamorous. Sometimes, they may be actually glam, but because they have to look traditional in the film…. they are like that. In their social media posts, they look glam and people judge them which is not right. Problem is right from the beginning they are like that. Just because they looked traditional in films, expecting them to be like that always is bad. This generation is very outgoing. Some celebs don’t like to show their real self in social media. They could be ultra modern in real life and by mistake if a picture leaks people start judging them. Body shaming is not good.
My style mantra: Heroines have a short span and they face tough competition. Because they are exposed to the media, they are judged. Even though we work in a stressful atmosphere but we are not exposed to the media or spoken about, the general public doesn’t know us. I am very focussed on my work, once my work with a heroine is over, I am seldom in touch. I move over to the next project. I am a hi and bye sort of a person and I don’t quite like personal styling. Most of the time we source clothes from designers. The industry doesn’t accept newcomers so easily and the designers don’t have a high opinion on artists who are freshers. They don’t want to take the risk. I don’t mind styling for new people in films because they come with a hope, positive attitude, and don’t demand anything. No one gives them anything. I feel like a person should guide them correctly and it will help them in their career. Actually, to be precise, the designers think if the first film flops, it is not good for them and people won’t approach them. I am of the opinion that if a designer gives them a dress and even if the film flops but she looks good, we shall have a satisfaction that she was presented well. Fashion is seasonal..right now it is all frocks, skirts, palazzos. I like wearing churidar..and I am very minimalistic and like to look elegant. I never feel comfy in western clothes though I dress in kurtis and jeans sometimes.
Hard work always pays off: Film industry is not a place where you can get easy money. People pay you well and for your work. It happens if the work is genuine and if you put in hard work. Attitude matters a lot and one should treat everyone equally. You should be grounded and graciousness spreads. All you need to do finally is be professional, produce bills perfectly and be good at budget controlling.
