Biopics have to measure up to a very high bar. More so, when they are reconstructing the eras and lives of legends. Authenticity is key to stay faithful to the story. When a young Tollywood team comprising of producers Swapna Dutt and Priyanka Dutt and director Nag Ashwin decided to recreate the life of the legendary south Indian legendary actor Savitri in Mahanati (2018), they never anticipated the success it would receive locally, let alone nationally. The National Award for Best Feature Film in Telugu, Best Actress (won by Keerthy Suresh in the title role) notwithstanding, it was the National Film Award for Best Costume Design that caught their design team by surprise. For Gaurang Shah and Archana Rao, who have already made their mark as noteworthy designers in the fashion industry, receiving this award is recognition of their prowess at the highest level, in a completely new industry.

“I was familiar with Savitri’s movies and knew that my design ethos found a natural synergy with that period and her style,” says Shah. A textile revivalist, Shah’s passion for Indian weaves forms the cornerstone of his eponymous label. “Not only did we have to research her childhood years, we had to focus on two areas of her life as a star—her on-screen iconic costumes and her off screen personal style,” he adds.

In the retelling of Savitri’s life, Mahanati spans everything from her childhood to being a stage artist in a remote village in Andhra Pradesh, to her rise as an iconic star. Traversing the time period between the 1940s and 1980s required intense research into the larger socio-cultural environment, textile history and lifestyle. It took 100 artisans and a lot of experimenting with weaves, textures, vibrance and lustre for Shah to reproduce as faithful a representation as possible. “From her childhood half saris, rendered in Mangalgiri cottons, and her off screen favourites—elegant organzas and chiffon sarees paired with handwoven silk blouses or exquisite Kanjeevaram silks in heritage colour stories of emerald green, red and ivory—to the brocades that lent to her unforgettable movie costumes, recreating Savitri’s journey was so fulfilling,” says Shah.

Vogue Fashion Fund 2013 winner, Archana Rao’s vintage meets modern sensibility gave her a natural edge while reprising Gemini Ganesan’s style in Mahanati. That, and the lesser known fact that she worked with the American label TSE and an export house in India as a menswear designer before launching her own label in womeswear. In addition to the male lead, Rao also styled the two key roles of journalists, played by Vijay Devarakonda and Samantha Akkineni.

“Fashion history was one of my favourite subjects, so when Nag Ashwin approached me to work for this period drama, I fell in love with the idea,” says Rao. Gemini Ganesan was one of top Tamil actors of his time and was known for his flamboyant personal style. Naturally, what followed was a lot of study into that era. “The danger while reprising a period is to stay away from over designing a trend, or you could easily create a caricature. Which is why it was important to be aware of Dulquer Salmaan’s (who is essaying the role of Gemini Ganesan) persona and include it with the former’s style,” she explains. Devarakonda and Akkineni’s characters demanded an understated and very real interpretation of ’80s style as relevant to their background in the film. So rather than focusing on the dominant trends at that time, the idea was to make their characters relatable. Clearly, the audiences connected! “Considering that Mahanati was the first film I designed for, winning the National Award for Best Costume Design, is a huge honour, an immense acknowledgement of our work,” says Rao.