When the trailers of Nitesh Tiwari’s Ramayana dropped, some viewers were awed by the spectacle of the two-part epic, while others quickly zeroed in on its creative choices. Ranbir Kapoor’s casting as Lord Rama sparked some debate, but it was the costumes, particularly those worn by Sai Pallavi as Sita and Lara Dutta as Kaikeyi, that the Internet couldn’t stop talking about.
Criticism ranged from the draping styles to the inclusion of stitched blouses, with social media users questioning whether the costumes were historically accurate for a mythological epic. Others argued that the visual language felt closer to contemporary television mythology than the world they had imagined from the Ramayana.
For costume designers Rimple and Harpreet Narula, however, both conversation and critique were expected. Having previously created iconic looks for Padmaavat (2018) and Heeramandi (2024), the duo is no stranger to scrutiny.
“It’s a valid debate,” says Rimple. “I’ve seen people saying that there wasn’t enough research done but everyone has their own relationship with the Ramayana because it has been interpreted and told through centuries of sculptures, paintings, theatre, dance and regional traditions. There is no single, universal visual reference. So,” she asks, “Who do you follow, who do you upset, and who do you please?”
Beyond the Text
Designing costumes for period epics doesn’t feel like a mammoth task to the two designers, whose label turns 26 this year. They’ve drawn on this kind of research long before now, through their couture collections and fashion shows.
The tangible research in matters of faith and belief is rather diverse, Harpreet notes. Since there’s no single point of reference, it comes from a variety of books, architecture, films, textiles, and also their travels. A lifelong process, he calls it.
He points to the iconography on the walls of the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia and to the various temples across India, and explains how different their interpretations are, in terms of costumes, jewellery and mukuts (crowns). “It changes from temple to temple, region to region. But when you close your eyes and pray to God, there’s a way that you imagine goddess Sita. We had the choice to go extremely authentic with bare shoulders and all of that. But we discussed it and realised that we failed to imagine her that way. We imagine her how we see her in our temples.”
The two emphasise that the film was made not only for those who frequent temples, but for people across the world. Rimple says that through costume — Sita’s, for example — they wanted to represent an Indian woman for a global audience.
“It’s going to be a talking point for generations to come,” she says. “More than talking about the blouses, whether they are stitched or not, I think people should look at the fabrics. We stayed away from new-age fabrics, with no tulle, nets or synthetics. We stuck to cotton and natural blends that used vegetable dyes.”
She adds that for the garments Rama and Sita wore when they were exiled, the fabric used was entirely natural, which is why it looks lived in. It crushes as the characters move and frays with time.
The Weight of Representation
The flip side of working on a film of this scale, Harpreet understands, is that it comes with responsibility and accountability.
“The minute the trailer is out, we knew there’s going to be a brigade of people on the internet with opinions,” he says. “The good side is that there is accountability, but the bad side is that everybody forms an opinion too fast and they’re not ready to look at the work with an open mind.”
One of the main points of controversy was Lara Dutta’s green and maroon (what Rimple calls oxblood) sari. Viewers felt that the styling was rather contemporary.
“But it was the perplexity of that scene and the character,” says Rimple. “She is banishing her eldest son and trying to give the throne to the other son. So, that vegetable-dyed green was a reference to earth, to give that motherhood quality to Lara. The dark oxblood colour reflects the perplexity of the character.”
When Harpreet and Rimple are designing the costumes, they’re primarily thinking of two things: firstly, how does the costume help in terms of storytelling? And secondly, what is the choreography or movement involved?
“If it is an action sequence or a dance, we have to keep the movement a lot more in mind. If it is more of a postural, dialogue-led scene, then we can be a little easy with the weight. Obviously, these actors are wearing these clothes for eight to 12 hours, and sometimes a scene is being shot over 10 days,” Harpreet says.
Besides, he says, if one doesn’t understand the script correctly, no matter how beautiful the costume is, it will never truly work on screen. That understanding has been at the heart of designing for Ramayana as well. The process has been about getting into the emotional and spiritual world of the characters and creating costumes that feel like a natural extension of their journeys.
Ultimately, dressing characters that are deeply revered was never going to be about recreating one fixed image that everyone agrees on. Instead, it was about finding a visual language that respects faith, draws from India’s vast artistic traditions and speaks to audiences across generations. For Rimple and Harpreet, the costumes are just one piece of a much larger world — one that audiences will experience when the epic comes alive on screen.
Quick Takes with Rimple & Harpreet
THR INDIA: An actor you’ve always loved dressing?
Rimple: Ranveer Singh.
Harpreet: Ranbir Kapoor.
THR INDIA: Do couture clients want to buy your costumes?
Rimple: Actors are the OG influencers. When Padmaavat was released, we never expected Shahid Kapoor’s jamas to become so popular. There was also a delicate off-white kurta he wore in a song sequence, and I received the first order for it on the second day after release.
Harpreet: It happens a lot, especially with diaspora abroad. The Indians who live outside the country connect to it through films.
THR INDIA: How does AI work in your job today?
Rimple: It’s a tool, but not the creator. Honestly, it has made life easier. It helps you visualise faster and explore multiple concepts. But human intuition and research are prime.
Harpreet: We still don’t know how to use AI. But with time we will have to get attuned to it because you have to use technology in a way that helps creative work rather than overtake it.