Rimple Narula of fashion label Rimple & Harpreet on 'Ramayana' costumes: Giving our 100 per cent

Mumbai: All eyes will be on Nitesh Tiwari's upcoming film "Ramayana" when it's up for release and designer Rimple Narula of the fashion label Rimple & Harpreet (RAH) says they are working round the clock to create "authentic" costumes for the forthcoming period drama.

"Ramayana", a big-screen adaptation of the Hindu epic Ramayana, will star Ranbir Kapoor as Lord Ram and Sai Pallavi as Goddess Sita. The film has yet to be announced officially by the makers.

Rimple, who founded the brand with husband Harpreet Narula in 2000, said designing costumes for the much-anticipated movie is a "huge responsibility".

"Ramayana has been the quintessential story of India. This (film) is the chance where India will shine and people will see what Indians are all about. More than challenging, it's a huge responsibility on us to present something which the world is going to see.

"We are leaving no stone unturned. We are giving our 100 per cent. We are working round the clock and are being as authentic as possible. Rest is for the world to decide," the designer told PTI in an interview.

Last week, photos of Kapoor and Pallavi, dressed as Lord Ram and Goddess Sita, leaked on social media. In the pictures, Kapoor was seen in a dhoti with a heavy shawl and ornaments, while Pallavi was draped in a saree with her head covered, wearing jewellery.

According to Rimple, the team has worked with Tiwari, known for "Dangal" and "Chhichhore", to create the right look for the movie.

"We looked at a lot of murals. Nobody has seen Lord Ram or Goddess Sita, so we sat down and thought what we would like to see and present to the world. We made a full look book and took it to director Nitesh Tiwari. We decided collectively," she added.

Works of 19th century's iconic Indian artist Raja Ravi Varma, best known for his portraits and paintings of Hindu deities, also served as a source of inspiration for the attire in "Ramayana".

"There are a lot of Raja Ravi Varma paintings, which we were looking at in terms of colours and silhouettes. We have created a beautiful form with the help of very old weavers in Banaras.

"We have developed some authentic fabrics, which are absolutely Indian, made in India and revived some very old techniques, which really took us a lot of time to do. We have created something, which as designers, we felt would be what our god and goddesses would wear. We have done our best," said Rimple, who along with Harpreet has created designs for films such as "Padmaavat", "Housefull 4" and "Bhool Bhulaiyaa 2".

Asked about the reaction of Kapoor and Pallavi to their looks in the film, the designer said the actors were happy with the costumes.

"They were happy and felt in character. Ranbir was a little more expressive," she added.

Rimple & Harpreet's latest project is Sanjay Leela Bhansali's debut web series "Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar", which started streaming on Netflix from May 1.