Neeta Lulla, the sartorial artisan behind the costumes in Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s magnum opus ‘Devdas,’ divulged the tale behind Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s emblematic red and white sari, revealing how the ensemble was hastily assembled at the eleventh hour.
In an interview on the YouTube channel Wiping Out The Norm, Neeta Lulla recounted how Sanjay Leela Bhansali executed a last-minute alteration to Aishwarya Rai Bachchan’s sari for the culminating scene in Devdas.
On the eve preceding the shoot, Sanjay expressed a need for a 15-meter long silk sari, elucidating that he envisioned Aishwarya descending the staircase with her pallu ablaze, necessitating two identical saris as a contingency in case one incurred damage during the filming process.
Upon grasping Sanjay’s artistic vision, Neeta promptly inquired if she could depart to procure the sari. She elaborated that this scenario unfolded at a studio in Goregaon, and devoid of mobile phones, they communicated via pagers. Sanjay summoned Aishwarya and Kirron Kher before her to ascertain if they possessed two identical puja saris, while Neeta repeatedly requested permission to leave. When it became evident that none possessed the required saris, and with the hour nearing 10:30 PM, Sanjay proposed deferring the shoot to the subsequent day. Neeta consented and immediately departed the studio to locate the saris.