With Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum opus Padmaavat awaiting the official theatrical release this January 25th and some select paid previews on January 24th, the viewers and film critics are already in awe of the opulence and magnificence of the film. But while much has been written about Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh and Shahid Kapoor’s costumes designed by Rimple and Harpreet Narula, not enough credit has been given to the design house that created the war armor for Shahid and Ranveer.
“They first approached us to create one look for Ranveer’s earlier battles in the film. During this time, we had just finished work on a bridal lehenga in leather, they liked the technique that we had employed in that piece, and thus they also asked us to create the armor for Shahid Kapoor’s final battle. After Mr. Bhansali saw these armors he asked us to create one for Khilji’s final battle as well,” says Vipul of the designer duo Vipul Amar-Harsheen Arora.
“The design process has been infused with subtle nuances in the armor, keeping in mind the analysis of the characters. For instance, the colors used for Maharawal Ratan Singh’s armor represent nobility and honour. The blood red depicts honour, love, and eagerness to serve one’s land and the deep gold stands for courage, generosity and passion", said the duo.
Adding,“In fact, the elements in this armour are inspired by the sun rays and the chest-plate is coloured like the Rajputana soil at different times of the day while inlayed with brass to showcase strength and bravery."
On being asked about the techniques employed, the two share that they’ve used actual historical techniques to maintain the authenticity. To create the armor, they employed techniques such as cuirboilli technique, sculpting, chiselling, and inlaying to name a few, making sure they align with today’s standards of comfort and weightlessness.
Given that Bhansali is extremely particular about his character’s detailing, including their costumes, and since Padmavati is a period drama for which the research had to be spot on, a lot must have gone into the planning and execution. To this, the duo says, “It was imperative for us to understand Mr.Bhansali’s vision of his characters, along with the personality of the actors and the historical data available to incorporate the right design elements in the armor."
"Authenticity and mobility of the pieces was our main concern as it is imperative that the actor be able to perform stunts in them. Hence, we carried out thorough research on the armories and weaponries of the era in which the film is set, in order to understand the mechanics and the authenticity of design elements," they said.
The film, a dramatized account of the 1303 siege of Chittor fort in Rajashtan, and has been embroiled in controversies ever since its inception.(The story was first published on November 7, 2017.)
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