Archana Rao on a roll

As a fashion designer, who runs her own brand, transitioning to designing costumes for Kalki has been a learning experience for Archana Rao. “Nag Ashwin has been a wonderful collaborator, showing immense trust in me. Designing the costumes and production for Kalki in 2898 AD was a very different challenge compared to Mahanati. While Mahanati had historical references and older films to draw inspiration from, Kalki required building an entirely new futuristic world from scratch,” says the designer.

For Kalki, they had to create a distinct visual language and aesthetic for the different settings — from the last civilisation of Kashi, full of slums, to the advanced, oppressive complex. “No direct references existed, so we had to consider how people would live and dress in these environments. Establishing these contrasting visual identities was crucial to immersing the audience in Kalki’s dystopian future. It was a true test of our creativity to build this futuristic world from the ground up,” says Archana adding, “Nag Ashwin is the kind of director who truly believes in the people he works with and wants them to succeed, pushing them to exceed their own expectations. This supportive approach has been invaluable as I’ve transitioned from fashion design to costume design for films.”

THE PROCESS

When director Nag Ashwin first narrated the project to her, she was immediately intrigued, especially when he revealed that Amitabh Bachchan would be playing the role of Ashwathama. “I knew this was a big, ambitious film that would require my full dedication. Nag Ashwin made it clear from the beginning that he needed me on set every day, overseeing every aspect of the costume design from start to finish. So I decided to do it, and we started four years ago. It has been an intense, immersive journey, but one that has allowed me to fully immerse myself in building the distinct visual identities for the different worlds and characters in this futuristic, mythological saga.”

Futuristic materials

For the Kashi setting in Kalki, the costume design focused on using durable, non-decomposing materials like plastic to create clothing since natural resources would be scarce in this dystopian future. “The fabrics were heavily distressed to look worn and weathered,” she says.

Despite the futuristic materials, the designers retained an Indian aesthetic, incorporating familiar silhouettes like lungis and sarees.

Challenges

For Ashwatthama’s costume, the team wanted him to look as old as the bark of a tree, given that he is the oldest man alive in the story. “We sourced the finest mull cotton, printed it with a tree bark texture, and manually distressed the fabric extensively to make it appear sheer and tattered, as if hanging by a thread. This ageing process was crucial to achieving the desired worn, flowy look for the character,” says Archana.

For the slum dwellers of Kashi, the designers engineered textiles using combinations of synthetics and plastics to create a gritty, futuristic aesthetic.

Working with big names

The entire cast of Kalki, from Amitabh Bachchan to Deepika Padukone, fully immersed themselves in their roles. Bachchan was wrapped in layers of fabric but never complained. Deepika also embraced the distressed, aged look of her character, understanding the world they were portraying. Prabhas wore an uncomfortable foam latex suit without issue. The actors’ commitment to their roles, regardless of the physical demands, was crucial in realising the ambitious vision of director Nag Ashwin.”

Working on Kalki has been transformative for me as a designer. Coming from fashion retail, I’ve had to shift my mindset to focus on authenticity over aesthetics, as director Nag Ashwin pushed me.”

Tollywood stars with their own personal styles

“Samantha Prabhu, who I’ve worked with before, has a wonderful personal style that is very true to her, in addition to her strong acting abilities. Her ability to transform for her roles while maintaining her authentic personal aesthetic is admirable.”

Upcoming projects

I’ve just completed work on the film Lucky Bhaskar, starring Dulquer Salmaan and Meenakshi Chaudhary in the lead roles. This was my project, and I was responsible for the lead characters.