Dressing the Past: Vikatakavi costume designer Josyula Gayathri Devi Interview
For costume designer Josyula Gayathri Devi, working on the periodic web series Vikatakavi has been a transformative experience. Known for her meticulous research and creativity, she recently brought the 1940s to life for this detective drama, streaming on ZEE5. Directed by Pradeep Maddali and produced by SRT Entertainments under Ram Talluri’s banner, the series stars Naresh Agastya and Megha Akash. In a candid conversation, Gayathri shared insights into her career, the challenges of recreating bygone eras, and her passion for fashion design.
Gaining Experience in Both Industries: It’s about Balance
Doing something that defines more than just the job is what Gayathri’s life seems to be all about. Originally from Vizianagaram, and later on, growing up in Chennai she graduated with a degree in Computer Science Engineering and worked as a Developer at Samsung and Microsoft before eventually venturing into fashion.
“After working for some time, I took a sabbatical due to personal reasons, travelled some places and got inclined towards fashion designing. I had learnt it all basically stitches and embroidery; how to put it, it was in my blood,” she says. She signed up for one of the several courses at Hamstech and within a year of participating in fashion shows and becoming a mentor herself, opened her design studio. Until the pandemic hit and the world had to self-isolate, business was great. “Now, I am looking to expand my business the next time around,” she says with a smile.
Evolving into Film Production
It was a twist of fate that led Gayathri into the film industry. The first break and dress for her costume designer role for dresses came when dancers and choreographer Sumant Bhardwaj offered it. Her big break should be referred here to web series Kudi Yedamaithe on AHA followed by Kalapuram and then the spiritual series Sarvam Shaktimayam. “Shooting outdoor’s taught me how to work under pressure, with low budgets and countable people,” she says and moves on.
Recreating the 1940s for Vikatakavi’s Immersion
For Vikatakavi, which is set in the 1940s Telangana, she found herself exploring a lot about the past. “Maa Bhoomi is my starting point. Everything I could find out about Hyderabad in those days made sense. The customs, the way of living, and the clothes of those times could not be ignored,” she recalls. She researched fabric styles, recreated looks using references, and conducted extensive look tests also to be genuine.
For example, the hero’s wardrobe had to be designed within the given time frame but still upholds the stature of his character. “We have selected cotton, linen, and khadi sarees for Megha Akash’s character to suit the period. It was tough but fulfilling to marry the two – history and aesthetics,” she adds.
Overcoming Period Specific Challenges in Storytelling
Arguably, one of the most difficult aspects of costume design on Vikatakavi was the choice of the fabric. “It’s all very unrealistic what we originally envisaged, we were forced to alter the fabrics chosen initially to better fit the story,” Gayathri explains. Such changes were not easy to make and depended on the consistent level of study and flexibility.
Crossing Domains: the difference between OTT and Film
Being a cross-country artist, Gayathri states how the dynamics differ from platform to platform. “The common problem with OTT series is that they have budgetary constraints. High quality is expected but it is not that simple. Movies are better in this regard as directors can get creative freedom”, she shares.
What is next for her?
Her forthcoming projects also include a Hotstar web series called “Marmayogi” directed by Satish Vegesna and a feature film,’ Manasachora’. With her schedule being packed, she keeps in touch with foreign content, Hindi, French, and Korean, and does not fail to remain relevant to the industry.
