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EXCLUSIVE: Fashion Designer Nachiket Barve on winning National Award for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior and more
Nachiket Barve's massive win as a Best Costume Designer for a Bollywood movie is the one that deserves an applause. In an exclusive interview with us, here are the beans spilled by the Indian Designer.
Hard work pays off and here's proof as witnessed by Nachiket Barve who bagged the Best Costume Designer Award recently. His fashion journey that began in 2010 is going strong with an impeccable spread of designs seen under his own fashion label and some more spotted in the name of cinemas. One such noticeably glorious fashion moment was all that he weaved for Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior, a 2020 Indian film's characters. What was it like to bring history to the table you ask?
In an exclusive chat with Pinkvilla, Nachiket talks about the meticulous, gratifying, and committed moments he spent putting historic costumes on display. The physics of each look had to be comprehended well to define perfection and did the 68th National Film Awards just mark his win? Indeed, sending congratulations your way!
1) What was it like to bring the character of history, say Tanhaji's ensembles to life?
A: Recreating the history for celluloid is a daunting and exciting process. It entails years of research, referencing, and a design process to eke out the world of the characters with truth and realism. I researched extensively for 2 years for this project; visited museums such as Kelkar Museum in Pune, and Salarjung museum in Hyderabad, and even explored the vaults of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London. It involved looking at archival textiles and embroidery techniques and then training artisans to revive them for the big screen. We have created jewelry using 400-year-old original moulds of the craftsmen who made jewelry for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. I have worked with leather craftsmen who work with ancient techniques of leather tooling. It was a deep dive into history for creating the look. The crystal clear vision of Om Raut and our synergy in creating a look that was rooted but stylish helped dictate the look of the film. 
2) What are the minute details you had to pay attention to?
A: Good design is composed of all the microelements that come together to create a perfect and realistic design. For a period epic like Tanhaji, every single element of the outfits, armours, Jewlery, and footwear had to be custom crafted..so the tiniest details had to be customised. The outfits also had to be functional for action sequences so a special kind of functional design had to be incorporated into the garments for rigging and harnessing as well as comfortable shoes for the actors for action. I wanted to be authentic yet make it cinematically spellbinding. Special dyes were sourced for keeping the palette of natural colours Derived from minerals and plants keeping in mind the era. Textile elements have been created in multiple weaving clusters of the country from Benaras, Telangana, Chanderi, Maheshwari, Paithan, and even Dharwad.
3) Describe your signature designing techniques included in Tanhaji's looks.
A: I am a firm believer in Minimal Luxury. The outfit should help the actor become the character and never overshadow the character. I have worked with a lot of hand detailing in all the costumes in the film. Even for my own fashion label, I believe in intricate yet sophisticated craftsmanship and I have applied the same philosophy to the costumes. The armor work by Saif Ali Khan has taken hundreds of hours to create by hand. The fabrics worn by Sharad Kelkar have real gold and silver zari woven into fabrics. The use of colour is strong but minimal and that is also a hallmark of my work.
4) Mention a few challenging aspects that went behind putting Ajay Devgn's outfits forward?
A: Ajay Devgn plays a warrior not a Royal person by status in the film and I wanted that sense of grittiness and realism in the clothes. I have designed his clothes in the kind of textured khadi that would be prevalent in those times. All his headgear like the Pagdi was especially draped onto him by master craftsmen to retain the authenticity of the era. The challenge was to make his look stylish yet authentic. All the actors were such amazing professionals to work with patiently taking the time to get dressed in the elaborate looks each day and bringing their characters to life. It was a joy!
5) How do you walk the line between making these ensembles stand out and staying in tune with the character?
A: I think the truth speaks for itself. If one sticks to realism the film always looks amazing. Our director Om Raut has been an amazing captain who gave me a free hand to create with freedom and yet be the glue to hold the various aspects of this saga together. The whole world of the film was a mix of tradition and modernity; with a traditional setting but a stylised way of telling the story. The costumes thus were steeped in history yet never ungainly or awkward. The actors of course breathed life into the costumes to raise the bar even higher.
6) You received the Best Costume Designer National Award, who do you have to thank?
A: The National Award is the highest award one can be conferred with for film work so it’s a monumental occasion. I am deeply grateful and receive it on behalf of the crew, the cast, and the hundreds of people who have contributed to making these costumes. It literally takes an army of unsung heroes; weavers, dyers, embroidery artisans, metal workers, armour experts, jewellery craftspeople, dress men, our Key Costumer, assistants, and laundering experts to keep this ship afloat. They are the ones who brought my vision to Fruition.
A special thanks to my family for always supporting me and being the wind beneath my wings even in an era when being a fashion designer was an unheard of choice in the middle-class background I come from. The smile they have on their face makes this award worth it.
7) Describe what it feels like to be a Nachiket Barve in a pool of costume designers.
A: I can only be me. I can only work harder and strive to be honest with my work. I hope I get opportunities to further my craft and help build worlds where costume elevates the movies with beauty, authenticity, and style. I also hope my work inspires viewers and audiences to regain a sense of pride in our rich cultural heritage. I also hope I can be a part of the wave of new Indian cinema that the world can appreciate and applaud.
I also feel the varied experiences that I have had over the years; whether my education at NID, studying in Paris on a scholarship awarded by the French Government, work experience with LVMH, or even doing costumes for varied celebrities such as Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, Sonam Kapoor and even representing India in a global platform as a winning representative of India at the International Woolmark Prize have all helped me sharpen my Oeuvre with refinement and versatility.
8) A unique detail the world isn't aware of Nachiket Barve's designs?
A: Comfort. I firmly believe; that whether in fashion or costume design, the wearer can only be themselves if they are comfortable. I strive to make the costume comfortable like a Second Skin whether the actor can be themselves in the look.
9) An advice you'd love to give to aspiring designers?
A: Learn! I am a complete student of history, and innovation and I keep learning. Work hard, there’s no substitute for that. Be honest… that is the essence of your character and takes you a long way.
10) Which is your next project and what are you most excited about?
A: I am working on my upcoming collection for fashion week and that is keeping me busy. We have also started international shipping on our online boutique so it is a tremendous way to connect with people across the world. I have also worked on 3 films in the last 2 years. Adipurush which is a fantastical journey as a costume designer, super challenging and exciting! It has been a joy doing that. There is a multilingual Marathi film “Har Har Mahadev” releasing on Diwali in 5 languages. Also, I did some costumes for a contemporary film which will be released this year. I also designed the look for Samantha's blockbuster song “Oo Antava” from Pushpa which came out this year and was a rage. I am excited about the journey ahead. It doesn’t matter whether the film is period or contemporary or even futuristic. It’s exciting to be a part of that film’s universe and create costumes that elevate the cinematic experience for the viewer.
Have you watched Tanhaji: The Unsung Warrior ? Share your views with us in the comments below.
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