One of the most memorable moments from Devdas is Aishwarya Rai‘s striking look in the film’s climax scene. However, what is lesser known is that the look was created overnight when director Sanjay Leela Bhansali suggested a sudden change. Also read: Shah Rukh Khan says he started drinking after Devdas: ‘That’s one downside to it’
Neeta Lulla reveals
During an interview with News18, Neeta Lulla looked back at working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Devdas and the sudden challenge of sourcing a long saree for Aishwarya Rai.
Neeta shared, “I had only overnight to create that look. The whole film featured sarees that were 12–14 metres long. I had cut up two or three sarees to create the entire ensemble. For the final scene, Sanjay felt he needed a cotton (Durga) Puja saree. We had the saree, and everything was ready. The night before the shoot at Filmistan, we were in Aishwarya’s van, looking at the outfit around 7 pm after pack-up.”
She added, “At that moment, Sanjay said his idea was to have the saree’s pallu catch fire and felt it wouldn’t be long enough. Hearing this, I said, ‘Can I leave?’ He was confused. I left the set and started making calls, trying to figure out a solution. I called one of my fabric vendors and got him to open his shop at 11 pm. In the meantime, I had asked my team of embroiderers to start working on borders and everything. By 8.30 am the next day, we had two 13-metre saris ready on set.”
About Devdas
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Devdas is considered among his finest works till date. The 2002 film featured Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit in lead roles.
The love saga was based on the 1917 Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay novel Devdas. The film revolves around Devdas Mukherjee (Shah Rukh), whose life goes downhill after his family forbids him from marrying Paro, (Aishwarya). He then turns to alcohol and seeks refuge with a prostitute Chandramukhi (Madhuri). It received widespread acclaim and went on to become a commercial success upon release. It also won five National awards, including one for its costumes.
In the climax scene, Aishwarya runs across the haveli, hoping to catch a final glimpse of Shah Rukh’s Devdas before he takes his last breath. In between all this, the pallu of saree catches fire, leading to a truly cinematic moment for the ages.
