Dressing up Saif Ali Khan and other stars in movies

Some people believe in letting their work speak for themselves. Designer Nachiket Barve is one of them. Low-profile and hardworking, he first shot into prominence when  he earned the Maharashtra State Award for the 2015-film Katyar Kaljat Ghusali. That is when the film industry first took note of this talented designer. Then, he further upped his game when he won an award for best costume designer for the 2018-Marathi film, Ani Dr Kashinath Ghanekar.

Currently in the throes of designing costumes for the Prabhas–Saif blockbuster Adipurush, Nachiket is snowed under with work. So, when he does find time, he says, he prefers to dedicate those moments to his eleven-month-old daughter Aarohi and wife Surabhi. “I’m not a party person. I wake up early and spend my mornings with my daughter. I return late at night, so she is asleep by then. I really believe it is more important to spend quality time with your
kid. My wife is currently on a maternity break and will join me soon,” states Nachiket.

Designer for Saif Ali Khan’s character in Tanhaji

Ace fashion designer Nachiket Barve, the mastermind behind the costumes in the upcoming period drama, ‘Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior’ says that he wanted Saif Ali Khan’s character to look stylish, sharp yet dark and dangerous looking.

“Uday Bhan as a character is really challenging and exciting. The director Om Raut and I had a lot of discussions on the vibe and personality of the character. We wanted Uday Bhan to be neither stereotypical nor obvious. He is menacing, but not caricaturized.

“I wanted the character to look stylish, sharp yet dark and dangerous looking. The colour palette of muted greys, charcoals, ebony and indigo emerged from the personality of the character, and Saif being so stylish definitely added to the look,” Mumbai-based Barve said.

Dressing up Saif Ali Khan in Tanhaji

When the Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior trailer was launched earlier this week, it suprised the audience with its eye-catching graphics and a promising story. With industry heavyweights like Ajay Devgan and Saif Ali Khan playing skilled warriors in the Battle of Sinhagad, Tanhaji has become the most awaited film of 2020. But when it comes to historical films, it’s not the places, dialogues, or factual accuracy, but the costumes that bring the era to life.

Giving insight into the costume creation process, fashion and costume designer Nachiket Barve, says the project involved several museum visits, sourcing materials, and research. “I really wanted to try and do a very authentic and realistic way of depicting costumes, so that it doesn’t look like a costume drama when you see the trailer; the clothes look like the age. We made them feel as real as possible,” he says. Talking about the research that he put in to accomplish historic accuracy, the 38-year-old explains, “The research involves multiple aspects, from visiting old museums and looking at their archival collection — everything from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London to museums in Maharashtra — to looking at paintings, books, and people’s personal collections.”

With the designer’s focus on authenticity and detail, some historical elements were harder than others to incorporate into the costumes. Among them as Saif Ali Khan’s character Uday Bhan, who was a Rajput representing the Mughals. “The character has a graph in film, so I had to keep in mind his transition and story, and then also bring about the change of body language, clothes, and cultural reference. Everything comes into play and that is very important,” Nachiket explains. Saif’s armour in the film has a tonal, rugged look, which was created by reviving an old technique of leather punching.

Saif Ali Khan is inherently a very stylish man; his understanding of costume and fashion is prevalent across the board. He once showed us some of the archival things from his personal collection, including his forefathers’ jewellery and brooches: Nachiket Barve