Tollywood goes stylish

Out with tacky skirts in yellow, red and green. Enter: zouaves, hot pants and tube dresses. If you���������ve thought only Sonam Kapoor reserves the right to look stylish, a la Aisha, think again. Tolly belles and boys are giving their Bollywood counterparts stiff competition, thanks to a crop of stylists who have taken celluloid by a fashionable storm. The result? Actors not only look good but they look believable and realistic.
Says stylist Neha Panda, who has to her credit the chic looks of the Bedroom girls (Paoli, Parno and Tanusree), ���������The idea is to keep the actors ���������in character���������, while at the same time, make them look stylish. The best thing is that even producers and directors are open to the idea of having a stylist around. The actors too want to look good. National and international fashion trends are seriously being followed in Tollywood nowadays.���������
Designer Abhishek Dutta, who styled Prosenjit and Rituparno Ghosh in Autograph and Arekti Premer Galpo, says, ���������Actors are extremely conscious, not just about their looks but also what brand they are going to wear on screen.��������� Agrees makeup artist Aniruddha Chakladar, adding, ���������Styling begins at a basic level when the director starts sketching the character. It depends on the personality of the actor. They have to be extremely flexible and have to surrender themselves completely to the stylist,��������� says Aniruddha.
Director Ravi Kinagi, from whose stable came films like Wanted and 100% Love, welcomes the idea of stylists taking up the job of making films look slicker. ���������The ���������look��������� is the main thing. Even TV soaps look so polished and are right up there when it comes to being fashionable. Television is giving us tough competition so we have to outdo them!���������
Stylist Ajopa Mukherjee, who has worked on films like 8:08 Er Bonga Local, Tabe Tai Hok and Ashbo Arek Din, says that an actor���������s look needs about a month���������s preparation. ���������Earlier, actors used to wear whatever costumes were available,��������� she says.
Ajopa also adds, ���������Nips and tucks were part of the routine. Now, extensive meetings with directors and producers are the order of the day. Separate budgets are allotted just for the look of the actors and sometimes, we are allowed to go to Mumbai and even abroad to shop for clothes and accessories.���������
���������It���������s easier to depend on stylists than rely on fashion magazines and decide the look on our own,��������� says director Mainak Bhaumik. ���������Stylists have added a lot more realism to films now that the actors look like normal human beings rather than characters out of a fantasy movie. My favourite looks are those of Tanusree in Bedroom and Raima Sen in Maach,Mishti and More,��������� says the director.
Sandy, who styled Dev, Subhashree, Jeet and Koel, believes that as a stylist, it pays to remain up to date with current trends. ���������Production houses play a big role in giving stylists that extra yard of freedom. Plus, there are stars who recommend stylists to directors. It works a lot at the personal level of comfort that stylists share with the actors,��������� he says. Sandy loves working with Subhashree. ���������If I ask her to increase or decrease five inches for a particular role, she���������ll do it,��������� says the stylist.
Stars like Prosenjit and Koel Mallick too endorse the important roles stylists have to play in making films look fashionable. ���������The presence of a stylist elevates the way a film looks and takes it to a different level,��������� says Prosenjit, adding, ���������Producers and directors used to think that they themselves could make actors look good and believable at the same time. But it���������s not an easy job.��������� ���������Stylists are one of the most important elements in the production unit of a movie,��������� says Koel, who feels lucky to have started out at a time when style gurus were already creating their magic on screen.
Stars and their style
Dev loves wearing a hooded jacket
Prosenjit hates OTT clothing
Aparna Sen goes by the script when it comes to styling
Subhashree prefers fitted clothes
Koel, though a little conservative with hemlines and necklines, loves wearing red
Payel hates billowy clothes and swears by pastel shades
Parno is brand conscious and loves high-street fashion
Jeet has a thing for jackets
Raima is very particular about cuts and fits
Paoli is a no-fuss girl when it comes to styling. She is also a stylist���������s delight