Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2002 release ‘Devdas’, featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit, still holds a special place in every movie lover’s heart. The film was praised for its grandeur and won five National Film Awards, three of which were for production and costume design. Designer Neeta Lulla recently reflected on the high-pressure environment behind one of the film’s most iconic scenes. She shared a moment when Bhansali requested changes to Aishwarya’s saree in the climax, which made the crew work swiftly at the last minute.Neeta Lulla about designing saree for Aishwarya Rai BachchanIn an interview with News18, Neeta shared, “I had only overnight to create that look. The whole film featured saris that were 12–14 metres long. I had cut up two or three saris to create the entire ensemble. For the final scene, Sanjay felt he needed a cotton (Durga) Puja saree.”Sanjay Leela Bhansali asked for a lengthy saree
On the night before filming a crucial scene for Devdas, Neeta visited Aishwarya at her vanity van to try the outfit. It was around 7 p.m., and Sanjay Leela Bhansali was not satisfied with the length of the saree’s pallu. He envisioned the pallu catching fire in the shot and wanted it to have more length to make it look realistic. Neeta politely excused herself and immediately set things in motion to solve the problem overnight.Neeta Lulla’s last minute preparationsShe began making phone calls in search of a solution and managed to convince one of her trusted fabric vendors to open his shop at 11 p.m. to supply the necessary material. She also directed her team of embroiderers to begin work on adding borders and embellishments to the fabric. They successfully created not one but two sarees, each 13 metres in length. By 8:30 a.m. the following morning, they had completed the outfit.About DevdasDevdas also featured Jackie Shroff, Kirron Kher, Smita Jaykar, Manoj Joshi, and Ananya Khare in key roles.
