It was the first day of shooting for Venkat Prabhu’s Mankatha . Vasuki Bhaskar was surprised when she arrived at a sprawling bungalow on the East Coast Road where the song ‘Vaada Bin Laada…’ was being shot. Hordes of Ajith fans had turned up and she could hear their deafening cheers right up to the top floor where the cameraman was freezing tight crops of the star in his new salt-and-pepper avatar. When Vasuki peered into the monitor, she got anxious. “I couldn’t believe that was the look I had imagined for a man with such a huge fan following – and that too for his 50th film! I took the cameraman aside and asked if the lighting could be adjusted to camouflage the silvery mane. But later, the more I saw the images on the monitor, the more I felt the look would work.”
It did. Ajith smiled approvingly. Fans whistled. Filmmakers repeated the look. And Vasuki felt relieved. She had freed an entire generation of actors and film-goers to age gracefully.
For someone who became a costume designer and stylist by chance, Mankatha (2011) was just another milestone in her career. “I wanted to become a fashion designer with an atelier-type set-up in Chennai. But when I met veteran director Bharathiraaja at a film function, he suggested I do the costumes for his film Kangalal Kaidhu Sei (2004). The next thing, I was designing 80 outfits for the film starring Priya Mani and Vaseegaran,” says the daughter of late R. D. Bhaskar, film producer and brother of music legend Ilaiyaraaja.
At Southern Aromas, Residency Towers, where we meet, Vasuki looks stylish in a contour-caressing black skirt and top. “This is the way I like to be – always. Unless I’m serious about my look, I cannot take someone else’s seriously,” she laughs, her shoulder-grazing earring swaying gently. “In our extended family, there are 10 boys and just two girls. Bhavatharini (singer-composer and Ilaiyaraaja’s daughter) and I were overprotected. Fashion was a big ‘no’. So I did Literature before switching to fashion designing. Today, everyone in the family understands that I’m in my comfort zone.”
Since she belonged to the film circuit, there was no dearth of offers. But the big break came when she turned in-house costume designer for Venkat Prabhu’s films. “ Chennai 600028, Saroja, Goa, Mankatha, Biriyani and now the Suriya-starrer Masss , every film is a learning curve. Venkat gives me freedom to experiment. As a costume designer, you have control over what people see on screen. The visual narrative of a film comes from the harmony achieved by different departments — lighting, sets, camera and costume. Clothes have to be as credible as the emotions of actors. I do a lot of homework before freezing on a look. It’s a challenge to strike a balance between reality and the demands of the reel world. While authenticity is crucial, a dose of glamour is inevitable,” says Vasuki, who is currently juggling six projects – Masss, Poojai (Vishal’s costumes) , untitled projects of directors Sundar C (starring Vishal), Suraj (starring ‘Jayam’ Ravi) and newcomer Ashwin (with Nayanthara in the lead), and Lakshman’s Romeo Juliet (Hansika’s costumes). “I’m looking forward to the release of Sundar C’s Aranmanai in which I’ve redefined the looks of Hansika and Andrea Jeremiah.”
Vasuki is vocal about the challenges involved. “People think it’s a glamorous profession. But we are constantly racing against time. Sometimes all we have between sketching and delivering outfits is just a couple of hours. When directors improvise, we have to go with the flow and deliver something different on time. Sourcing fabric, designing, tailoring, fitting, multi-level approvals… the deadlines can be ruthless. Budget is another problem. But with the growing importance of visual appeal, directors are getting to understand the profile of a costume designer and the importance of aesthetics.”
Having worked on different genres – from soft romances to hardcore action — Vasuki wants to take her sartorial medium to another level. “My dream is to create costumes for a historical where I can indulge my imagination,” she says. That’s not all. She hopes to revive her dad’s production house.
Not a bad idea, considering everyone in the family is into films. “Yes, there’s someone in every major department of filmmaking. Hope my production dream will be a reality soon.”
