Talented wives behind T'wood bigwigs

Behind every fashionable man in Tollywood these days, there is a woman. From actors Vishnu Manchu and Mahesh Babu to directors SS Rajamouli, Puri Jagannath and more, the stlye files of many of our T’wood bigwigs are in the able hands of their talented wives.
While some of these star wives are qualified fashion professionals, others just use their keen eye for detail and exposure to international trends to make sure their hubbies look great and break more hearts on screen.
Ace director SS Rajamouli’s wife Rama who won accolades for her costumes and styling in his magnum opus “Magadheera”, says her journey into designing for films was a gradual one.
“I always know what my husband has in mind as he discusses his projects with me. And I used to often give him suggestions on the kind of look and costumes that could work well for a film. While we do have costume designers in the film industry, he always felt he was unable to get through to them. He’d know something was amiss in a costume, but couldn’t put his finger on it. That’s when I began to step in... Since I understand him a lot better, I’d intervene and help the designer zero in on the look he had in mind. I worked with the costume designers of “Simhadri” and then took it up seriously from “Sye”. It becomes easy for me as a wife to relate to his plans, script and style,” adds Rama.
Actor Vishnu Manchu’s wife Viranica is yet another hands-on biwi. armed with a degree in fashion marketing from NYU and Parsons and a gemology degree from the US, Viranica’s focus is all about making her husband’s wardrobe look international, while pleasing local sensibilities. “While I don’t design Vishnu’s clothes yet, I style for his films. I’ve been into fashion for as long as I can remember, long before Vishnu came into my life. The Indian couture industry is lucrative and a great business option for the fashion savvy lot. And spouses of actors have an edge as they have films as a readymade platform for showcasing their work,” quips Viranica, who travels with Vishnu to most of his shooting locales, personally looking into his styling.
While sources confirm that Namrata Shirodkar, who manages her husband Mahesh Babu’s career and endorsement deals, also plans to double up as his style guru, Pawan Kalyan’s wife Renu Desai also steps in to style her husband once in a while. director Puri Jagannath also banks on wife Lavanya for the costumes in some of his films.
But styling for a film is not always a cakewalk, even if it’s your husband’s project that you are working on. “If anything, the expectations are twice as much,” says Roopa, filmmaker Srinu Vytla’s wife, who will style Samantha in “Dhookudu”. “I always loved fashion but had to take up engineering on my mom’s insistence. Now that my husband is into films, it has become easy for me to pursue my passion. However, he doesn’t compromise on the work just because I am his wife. He even does photoshoots before he gives a nod to my works,” Roopa reveals.