Enkayaar, Bollywood Trade News Network

When Jean Paul Gautier graces the occasion and sits through the costume draw enraptured and enthralled, mesmerized by the oeuvre and richness of the heritage expressed through the clothes, then it surely is a day of triumph for Indian tradition of dressing and stylization. When this happens after your earlier work has been pummeled and pounded, and then it is a sweet revenge. The man in question-Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the event launching of his opera PADMAVATI in Paris, the earlier work, SAAWARIYA.

They say, when in doubt return back to the roots, and for Sanjay Leela Bhansali it was a cakewalk, as he had his glorious past as a reference. Sanjay Leela Bhansali's earlier costume dramas like HUM DIL DE CHUKE SANAM and DEVDAS were a good reference points for him to tell the world the richness of Indian culture in its vivacity. Indian culture has never failed to mesmerize, and when it is done by the director of the caliber of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, it has to make the audience stand on its feet, hands clapping as if left in the start mode, and such was the emotional overwhelming, that though the mind was giving signals to stop clapping, heart was prodding to keep on clapping. Never before in the recent history had an ovation continued for more than forty-five minutes, and the entire slur and the darts that were thrown at Bhansali seemed to have melted in that moment and he redeemed himself.

After all the only Oscars that have been won by India so far has been for dress and costumes to Bhanu Aitheya in GANDHI. The purpose of the costume dramas like PADMAVATI is to move to a stage of convergence between spectacle and intimacy, where the clothes are expressive manifestation about the feeling of the soul.

If the costumes selected are able to resemble and live the time, which is being depicted, the quotient of emotion that they raise makes the present merge into the past. This is what translates into standing ovation. After being decimated by the Indian audience, the international recognition that Sanjay Leela Bhansali has attained for himself would certainly be the trigger for him to rebound with a Hindi film that would shut the mouth of critics.


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