104 days, 13 evictions later, the D-day for the third season of 'Bigg Boss Tamil' is here. Though the reality show ruled many of the households in TN, what kept everyone glued to their television sets during the weekends was the joy of watching their favourite star Kamal Haasan host the show.
With his unmatchable charisma and wit, Kamal had the audience under his spell for the 3 hours he hosted the show during the weekends. Kamal's costumes during his 'Bigg Boss 3' appearances only went on too add to his charm. Behind all the quirky looks that Kamal Haasan sported this season is celebrity stylist Amritha Ram who wove magic.
Speaking to TNIE about her experience of working with Kamal Haasan, Amritharam calls it a 'complete learning experience'. "What a school of learning he is. I learn a lot from him every time I sit and discuss his outfit. Be it the colour, or texture, he knows everything. He has always been one of the best dressed. He has brought in trends. More than an experience, it was complete learning. It was fabulous working with him," she says.
She had earlier worked with Kamal during 'Vishwaroopam' promotions and had styled him for the last few episodes of 'Bigg Boss Tamil 2'. She is also on board for Shankar's next big project with Kamal Haasan, 'Indian 2'.
Working with a personality of such stature ain't a joke but Amritharam has pulled it off effortlessly. However, she gives all the credit to 'Kamal sir.'
"I give all the credit to sir. For every look, his inputs add icing to it, making it what it is. There's also a huge responsibility to dress up someone like Kamal sir as billions of people look up to him. Also, we try to create a bit of nostalgia. Whether it is his pivot turtleneck or the suspenders or a sharkskin suit, he pulls off every look with complete perfection," she adds.
For the stylist, the challenging part of the makeover is to ensure it appeals to a wider audience and also, at the same time, to keep the look trendy. "It is not just a game show where someone conducts the event. This is a one on one show where he connects with people. You need to keep him stylish and different but you also have to create a niche to keep him connected," she explains.
It is tuxedo time for the finals, says Amritharam, who has experimented with different looks on Kamal, including a sporty look with a hoodie and a blazer. "All-time classic tuxedo is the finale special. We have customised a tuxedo with his initial, which is a very western concept," she says.
Speaking about her top three favourite looks from this season, here's what she picked:
"Every time I talk to him, I get so many costume hacks. I am learning about texture, colours, treatment of fabric, leather. He is an institution. It was like revisiting everything. I am very grateful to him for all the support and encouragement. He gives one space to work. When you accept your mistake, he likes it. Working with the man himself, it just can't get bigger, it just can't get better. This is the best. I am very happy," Amritharam gushes about her journey with Kamal Haasan.
When asked about her favourite film project, Amritharam's pick is 'Vada Chennai'. "'Vada Chennai' is very close to my heart. Whatever project I do, it will be my most favourite. My director trusted me with such a huge project. It was iconic. The entire industry was looking forward to it. I owe everything to Vetri Maaran sir. He's amazing and he's one of my mentors," she says.
Amritharam has her hands full with many big projects lined up. Some of these include Vijay Sethupathi's 'Sanga Thamizhan', 'Naadodigal 2' with Anjali, a movie with Andrea Jeremiah, and Trisha's 'Paramapadham Vilayattu'.
The celebrity stylist had recently worked with Aishwarya Rajesh in the latest Sivakarthikeyan flick 'Namma Veetu Pillai.'
When asked to pick her favourite star, Amritharam is quick to reply - "Kamal sir". However, she says she doesn't have the heart to choose between actresses.
"I love all my girls equally, I can't do this. It could be Aishwarya Rajesh, Anjali or Nivetha Pethuraj. They all give me unconditional love. They don't even ask anything, they blindly trust me. I love each and every one of them," the talented stylist concludes.