Educational
Experience
I've
done my graduation from Mithibai College in
Mumbai. After that I did an IATA (International
Air Transport Association) course.
Professional
Experience
I have no formal training in costume designing;
I just go by my instincts. I've worked with
Zee Music where I have done the styling for
all the VJs. I was appointed the in-house
stylist by Rakhi Tandon's RT Entertainment.
The
other projects I've done are Heena,
Hum Hain Dilwale and Goonj airing
on Sony Televison and Har Mod Par which
airs on Sahara TV.
Currently,
I'm managing the looks of Rakhi Tandon and
Mukul Dev in the sitcom Pyar Zindagi Hai
(Zee TV). I'm also styling the anchors
for Zee TV's two new shows - one based on
health and the other on spirituality.
I'm
also eagerly waiting for the release of Kalpana
Lajmi's movie titled Kyon, for which,
I have not only styled the costumes but also
the overall look of the characters. So I'm
really excited about this venture.
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|
With
the male cast of Kalpana Lajmi's Kyon
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Styling as career choice
I took up a job with Jet Airways after doing
the IATA course. After a brief stint with
Jet, I realised that my heart was somewhere
else. Since my mom is an actress (Anita Kanwal),
I too was expected to take up acting as a
career. But again, that was not something
that I wanted to do.
After I left Jet Airways, I really didn't
know what to do. Whenever I visited the sets
for my mom's shoots, I was very interested
in the look and presentation of the sets and
the artists. Seeing my interest, I was offered
to do the styling for the serial Love Mein
Kabhi Kabhi (SABe TV).
Since
then there has been no looking back. Nothing
was pre-planned. It just happened.
Problems
faced while dealing with artists
There are a lot of things that I have to keep
in mind as a stylist. I have to make sure
that everyone on the sets, from the actors
to the producers to the sponsors, is happy.
I
also have to make sure that I talk to the
artistes and find out about their likes and
dislikes and accordingly select their costumes
keeping in mind their colour preferences.
And the next time I'm working with the same
artistes, I try and remember all their preferences
and give them what they like, in terms of
looks and clothes.
That's
the best way to keep them happy, and they
also feel nice about the fact that I remembered.
It's very important to have a good rapport
with them. The key is to know how to tackle
them.
All
the actors that I've worked with are very
sweet unlike the preconceived notion that
most people have about their snobbish behaviour.
One has to know how to deal with them and
their requirements. Once you've achieved that,
they are the easiest people to work with.
Coping
with constant change in trends & styles
I make sure that I watch a lot of movies,
not only Indian but also foreign films and
closely examine the colour schemes and the
trends that are used. It's very helpful.
Apart
from that I also visit our costume sponsors
like 'Casuals' and find out from them what
the current fads are. That way I'm always
abreast with the latest styles of the season
and thereafter incorporate them in my work.
Today
styling for a serial is not as easy as it
used to be a few years ago. Things have changed
dramatically. New trends are emerging everyday
and a stylist is supposed to keep tab of each
and every trend. It's a demanding, yet interesting
profession.
Competition
faced in the field
Oh, there is a lot of competition in this
field. You have to strive to be one step ahead
of your contemporaries. It requires a lot
of researching, patience and hard work to
carve a niche for yourself.
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With
the female cast of Kalpana Lajmi's Kyon
|
Once
you have established a good rapport with a
particular production house or artist, they
are sure to repeat you in their next venture
and that is what I aim for. My work should
speak for me. Word of mouth publicity also
does wonders in this industry, so if people
appreciate my work then definitely I will
be talked about.
Five
years from now
Five years from now hopefully, I see myself
doing more designing for films!!! I have my
fingers crossed!
Hobbies
I love swimming, travelling and I'm a total
movie buff!! I just love watching movies.
Idea
of enjoyment
My idea of enjoyment is going out with friends,
partying (once in a while) and dining at 'Rain.'
I also love going to Delhi, as I'm originally
from there.