A Non-Vegetarian Fairytale (Costume Design)

A NON-VEGETARIAN FAIRYTALE

I got the opportunity to work with a team of students at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII)

on a short film as a costume designer.

The premise of the film was about what it would be like to live in a world where the thought of committing a crime

was punishable just as much as actually committing it.

The project's challenge involved creating theme based costumes for actors who were all persons of short stature and had few physical features unique to each of them. The sets were also created in proportion to the actors. The idea was to make the viewer feel uncomfortable or out of place in their space, as a way to simulate how they must feel living in a world

that is seldom inclusive for persons with disabilities.

The first character was the wife TORA. She was to portray a sweet tongued villain. We finally went for the classic black and red with a high embellished collar to reflect her veiled villainy and to support the otherwise innocent front facade of the character

we gave her soft, natural hair and makeup.

The following sketches were the initial concepts for her character based on the 1930s in Assam.

The second character was the gardener, SUNIL.

He was to have a simple, no fuss look to go along with his naive character.

Initially the film was to be set in 1930s Assam. The options for costumes were created accordingly. Along the duration of planning the film, this was changed. The gardener was then given a uniform like a bell boy of a hotel or a servant at a tea estate.

The third character was the husband, the manager of the tea estate

This character was to be laid back and a reflection of his wealth and older age had to be seen in the costume.

Finally came the police officers and constables. Initial explorations were made according to what the uniforms would've been in the 30s. Later, these were changed to the uniforms used today, including badges etc.