In their 24-year-old design career, Rimple and Harpreet Narula have not worked on a project as intimately entwined with their personal journey as director Sanjay Leela’s Heeramandi. Though they grew up in Ludhiana, their childhood was imbued with stories of their grandparents, aunts and relatives from Gujranwala in undivided Punjab and the vibrant life of that time. “We were simply swept by nostalgia,” Harpreet tells TMS ahead of the release of the series set in pre-Partition Lahore, and several other districts, including Gujranwala.
Heeramandi, a period drama, portrays the lives of courtesans in the red-light area of Lahore. While the area, during the Mughal rule, was a centre of classical arts practised by tawaifs who enjoyed royal patronage, it was reduced to a hub of prostitution under British rule. The eight-episode series will capture this tumultuous milieu through a tale of love, betrayal, loss and power games, brought on screen by actors Sonakshi Sinha, Manisha Koirala, Richa Chadha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sanjeeda Shaikh and Sharmin Segal, decked in angiya (bodice) with ghaghras, shararas, kalidar pyjamas with kurtas and sheer dupattas to sequin saris and more, all made by the Narulas.
The inspiration
Pre-partition Lahore was influenced by British, Nawabi, and Sikh styles in dressing. Courtesan ensembles, too, were an amalgamation of European prints, zardosi work and phulkaris. Before beginning with the actual design, Rimple and Harpreet went through a huge collection of archival textiles of the era, which they had collected during their travels. This came in handy for the project. “We had collected various kinds of embroidered phulkaris like Bagh, Tilpatra and Chaddar. We also had 18th-century European prints like toile de jouy, which depicted beautiful scenery on fabric imitating the landscape of the French city, Jouy, besides textiles inspired by Mughal artworks and Persian prints,” says Harpreet.
The couple also delved into the lives of historical personalities, into literature, art and the monuments of Lahore for inspiration. If books such as Punjab Reconsidered: History, Culture, and Practice offered them “invaluable insights”, songstresses of that era inspired them no less. “Iconic singers from that era such as Noor Jehan, Shamshad Begum and Mukhtar Begum and their dressing sense served as time capsules, offering glimpses into the aesthetics and sensibilities of the period,” adds Rimple. Fabrics such as silk, brocade, cotton, chiffon and linen were chosen for an opulent look; for everyday scenes in the series, more basic textiles like linen and jute were used.
Maximalist trends
Heeramandi is the fourth film/series project of the Narulas who have previously crafted costumes for Padmaavat, Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2, and Housefull 4. Previously, when they teamed up for designing Deepika Padukone’s 80-kali ghaghra from the song ‘Ghoomer’ (Padmaavat), it became a rage for its epic twirls. Will Heeramandi spur any bridal couture trends this time? “Certainly,” Rimple says. “Brides go for maximalism to emulate the grandeur and allure of characters from period dramas like Heeramandi. They want to embrace bold colours, intricate embellishments, and luxurious fabrics to create a truly lavish wedding look.”
While the complete ‘looks’ from the series are yet to be out, the designers offered a peek during the Miss World 2024 pageant and its teasers. At Miss World, the runway turned into a spring garden with 13 contestants from the pageant adorned in designs inspired by ‘Sakal Ban’, a spring medley from Heeramandi. They walked down the ramp along with the starcast in dazzling sharara sets, lehengas and ghaghra cholis dipped in monochrome shades of yellow, mustard, marigold and tints of green and tangerine. “There were a couple of pieces that had actually been used in the series. Miss England, Jessica Ashley Gagen, was looking super interesting, especially with her beautiful red hair and the dupatta on her head. Another contestant, Miss Uganda, Hannah Karema, stole the show in a beautiful printed sharara echoing the hues of spring, complementing her skin tone,” Rimple says of some of the standout looks.
After Heeramandi, the designers are doing the costumes of another period film. Also on the cards is their new flagship store to be opened this month in Mumbai.
Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar will be released on Netflix on May 1.