Devdas, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s crowning achievement, was released over 21 years ago. With this movie, we first entered the opulent universe of the director, who did all possible to make this movie a visual spectacle. With Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam from 1999, Bhansali had already developed a strong visual aesthetic, but with Devdas, he constructed a world that would eventually come to be synonymous with his opulent style.
Devdas, which starred Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit, was among the most expensive movies ever produced in Hindi cinema. The impact of its meticulously designed outfits was so great that they temporarily controlled Indian fashion. The massive sets that resemble museums may be a staple of a Bhansali movie today, but when they were first introduced, the audience’s mouths dropped to the floor. On the celluloid with all available colours, there had never before been such grandeur, splendour, extravagance, and beauty. Although there was a lot of drama, the fashion and styling of this movie established the standard for many others. This is the beauty of Bhansali’s Devdas, which established a standard for all of his subsequent films even years after its original release date. Every set was painstakingly planned, and every outfit was intricately stitched. Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla did, in fact, take home the National Award for Best Costumes.
The casting of Shahrukh Khan, Madhuri Dixit, and Aishwarya Rai was flawlessly executed by the filmmaker. Even before her Cannes debut, Aishwarya Rai became the most recognizable face of one of the top beauty brands in the world. Aishwarya donned a lovely pink saree with crystal work and embroidered details. She accessorised this amazing ensemble with a rani haar, thick kadas, and a pearl choker necklace. She chose a pink lip colour, a shimmering eyeshadow with an on-trend highlighter, a red bindi, and sleek low bun for her hair. Aishwarya’s outfit is perfect for wedding events when accessorised with a pair of danglers. 600 Bengali sarees were combined and blended to produce 600 different fresh designs for Paro’s appearance.
When wearing a blue silk Bengali saree, Aishwarya appeared to be a regal bride. She was dressed in a blue silk saree with elaborate contrast gold embroidery. In this outfit, Aishwarya wore a choker necklace, a rani haar, and jhumkas. She looked absolutely stunning. She accessorised this look with kohled eyes, a sleek hairdo, and a bright crimson bindi. Following marriage, Paro’s sarees were kept 8–9 metres long rather than the customary 6 metres.
Do you recall the stunning and enchanting women who wore red and white saris in the song “Dola Re”? This elegant, fashion-forward white-red saree with contrasting gold work is absolute perfection. The blouses’ detailed embroidery made them unique on their own. Aishwarya chose a similar set of earrings, a lovely haath phool, and a choker necklace with a maang tikka to add some glitz to her ensemble. Never before has the traditional Bengali saree or lal paad appeared on TV so elegantly. Not just wearing sarees or jewellery, Alta was also sporting possibly the most stunning hands of the era in this specific song. To prevent any jerks, it used to take almost three hours to perfectly drape a saree in the same manner for each shoot.
We still hum Silsila ye chaahat ka because of its uplifting melody and backing music. In such a heartfelt song, Aishwarya Rai’s Bengali persona wearing a red and blue saree was the ideal sight. The simplicity of this clothing, which depicts her life before marriage, makes it a true classic.
Aishwarya Rai’s large saree collection was designed by Neeta Lulla. To make Paro come to life, more than 600 sarees were bought from several stores in Kolkata. It frequently took up to three hours to drape a large number of sarees in layers for an even more elegant drape. Aishwarya Rai was covered in over 9 metres of fabric instead of the customary 6 metres for a grander impression.