The morning of Saptami 2023 brought good tidings for Calcutta-based costume designer, stylist and fashion designer Roy Abhisek. He was neck-deep in Durga Puja preparations at a friend’s home, braving sleep-deprived nights, when he got a call from t2 asking him to WhatsApp pictures of some of his recent menswear at Bohurupi Santiniketan, his label which is steeped in all things Bengali and has a retro core. On the other end of the conversation thread was Subarna Ray Chaudhuri, a Calcutta girl, stylist and costume designer with films like Parineeta, Lootera, Dishoom, Kick, Bajrangi Bhaijaan and many more on her illustrious CV. The clock read past midnight in Subarna’s part of the world, the US, where she now lives and she was up coordinating some looks for Saif Ali Khan, with whom she’s had a long association and has worked with on Parineeta and recently, Tandav. The actor was looking to explore “classic Parineeta type” designs, Subarna told t2.
Once Subarna and Abhisek exchanged coordinates, the latter was in for a memorable 10 minutes of his life. “Saif Ali Khan himself called me and chatted with me. I was so pleasantly surprised. He was so cool. It was super exciting and how it happened was even more exciting. Everything happened in 10 minutes. I was in disbelief that this was happening,” said Abhisek.
Saif’s brief was crystal clear. “He wanted traditional Bengali designs. That was his main brief and then I showed him references and my sketches. He wanted something with an old-school charm and intricate details. That’s also my style and design sensibility,” said Abhisek, who met the actor on Monday and Tuesday at his Bandra home for trials. “He wanted three designs initially, but I got him seven and he loved all of them,” Abhisek told t2.
The dhotis, kurtas and pyjamas were in cotton muslin, silk and one was a Jamdani piece and in shades of white and indigo blue and black, with simple hand embroidery. “He loved the muslin ones and the feel of the material and the cut. They fit him perfectly, which was great. He chose a black one to wear for Diwali. We got stitched dhotis for him but he also made me showcase the drape of a traditional dhoti, of which he has done a video,” said Abhisek.
This was the Calcutta boy’s biggest national project post styling Kapil Dev. And, the experience had been thoroughly enjoyable. “I have always liked and adored Saif’s sense of personal style, which is very simple and elegant. He put me at ease and knew what he wanted and that made my job very easy too. He was very cool-headed and had such good vibes. I am a die-hard fan of his mother, the legendary Sharmila Tagore and it felt great that he was exploring his mother’s culture,” signed off Abhisek.
Watch this space for more!