Neeta Lulla Calls Sridevi’s ‘Lamhe’ White Dress Her Toughest Design

MUMBAI – National Award-winning costume designer Neeta Lulla has revealed that Sridevi’s iconic white outfit for the song ‘Kabhi Main Kahoon’ from filmmaker Yash Chopra’s 1991 film ‘Lamhe’ was created using three to four white georgette chiffon sarees, calling it one of the most difficult costumes she has ever designed.

Lulla explained how the costume, regarded as one of Sridevi’s most memorable on-screen looks, came together.

“Did you know that the most difficult outfit to stitch is a simple white dress? I realized this while creating an outfit for the song ‘Kabhi Main Kahoon’ for Sridevi, for ‘Lamhe’,” she said.

“I picked up a basic white lining fabric. What happened, to my surprise, was that the white from underneath was showing very starkly through the white on top. I couldn’t figure out, for the life of me, how to structure this. So then, after thinking it over, we planned to put a layer of chiffon underneath so that the white would diffuse. And that’s how we created the outfit for the song,” she shared.

She also revealed that scarves were used to create the belt around Sridevi’s waist.

“We had these scarves that we made, which were tied around her waist. And not to forget the off-shoulder top that she carried off brilliantly well,” Lulla added.

The designer, who won the National Film Award for Best Costume Design for ‘Jodhaa Akbar’ in 2009 and the Marathi film ‘Balgandharva’ in 2012, said the final look exceeded her expectations.

“The song was filmed in Switzerland, and I had not seen how it would look because there was so much volume. We had shredded it, we had cut it, slitted it. The way it looked surprised me, and the kind of shots that Yashji had taken from the helicopter were something ethereal. And I think that was the shot that everybody loved in the movie,” she said.

said the costume required meticulous craftsmanship because white is one of the most challenging colors to present on screen.

“What appears effortless on screen is, in reality, the result of meticulous craftsmanship and an unwavering eye for detail,” she said. (IANS)