atta Girl

Hair:

It’s necessary for boxers to keep their hair pulled back, in order to keep the hair strands away from the face. Priyanka will be seen sporting neat braids and pulled back high pony tails, especially when she is in the boxing ring. On other days (and a later stage in her life journey), she will also sport thin front bangs

Make-Up:

The team initially considered hiring international prosthetic make-up artistes, in order to make sure that Priyanka’s overall look matches that of Mary Kom. A few look tests were also conducted. But since they felt prosthetics looked a bit too caricaturish, the idea was scrapped. Eventually, Priyanka’s make-up artist Uday Shirale came on board and used normal but heavy eyelid make-up, with different set of eyelashes and dabs of concealer and foundation, to give her a natural look

Bruise:

Make- up artist Shirale confessed that while filming a crucial scene in the boxing ring, she actually injured herself and fell on the floor. Although the shot was okayed, Chopra got a bruise (cut mark) under her eye, which was eventually retained throughout the film. But Shirale used some make-up and kept adding touchups to make it look more deeper, both for continuation and authenticity.

Outfit:

The dominant colour pallette used for Chopra’s outfits in the film is dark and the colours chosen are slightly towards the masculine side, especially for the sports gear. The traditional boxing hues of red and blue have been maintained. Apart from this, Chopra will also be seen wearing traditional Manipuri sarongs and accessories’

Training:

Fitness expert Samir Jaura trained Priyanka for four months before the shoot, to achieve the perfect athletic look of a boxer. She would work out with Jaura twice a day and the core training consisted of cardio, free hand routine, weights, strength and functional training. Flexibility exercises and stretching were also included. It was the first time that Chopra had to undergo heavy training. Apart from this, an international boxing trainer was also around to conduct daily training sessions with Chopra .

The Team Speaks

For designer Rajat Tangri, Mary Kom came as a challenge that he was excited to take up. During the pre-production, he understood how director Omung Kumar visualised Kom’s character, in order to create the perfect look for Priyanka Chopra. “We had to keep in mind the fact that this film is a biopic and we have to stay true to the person. So, the look that we eventually created is a mix of our interpretation and observations made from Mary Kom’s real personality,” mentioned Tangri. The designer began his extensive research by visiting Manipur for a week and travelling to all the places where people from the Kom tribe live, in order to observe the kind of outfits worn by them. He adds, “From there, I picked up a lot of local fabrics and accessories. After that, I went through Mary Kom’s personal photo albums.”
The sports wear was designed by Tangri, while a sponsor (manufacturer of a popular sportswear company) provided the fabric and other gear. “I would give my designs and they would make the outfit accordingly. The silhouette for the sports outfits was anti-fit. The team jackets were also a few sizes bigger to add a masculine feel,” he mentioned. As Mary Kom would share clothes with her husband during training, Chopra will be seen sporting masculine tees and sweatshirts as well. The actress did not undergo any specific diet, but to ensure that she gains mass muscle in a balanced way, she was advised to eat a proportionate meal once in every three hours, that would include all the nutrients, right from proteins to carbohydrates. “The idea was to make her look fit, but not like a man. In India, people are not used to seeing heavily beefed up women. So, we maintained a balanced work out and diet plan, to ensure that she gains muscle mass in the right places,” stated Jaura.
Tangri stated that despite being into a masculine sport, Mary Kom has a very feminine element to her outside the boxing ring. Since she loves pearls, a lot of Chopra’s casual outfits are accessorised with a pearl necklace or dot earrings. “Her style statement is very girly. She wears a lot of trendy apparel, but it’s all mismatched. We picked up a lot of minute details to create an authentic look and added a lot of layering. Certain fabrics were also aged to create a natural feel,” he mentioned. In Manipur, girls wear sarongs (locally known as phanek). Chopra will be seen wearing sarongs in different fabrics, like hand woven or synthetic, which are teamed up with regular tops and T-shirts. “The pattern of these sarongs, colours and the way they are tied is different for each tribe, so we had to keep that in mind,” adds Tangri. The designer also replicated her wedding outfit and a few other ensembles worn during important events.