Amritha Ram on styling Kamal Haasan for 'Bigg Boss 4 Tamil': It was a collaborative, interactive process

Noted stylist Amritha Ram says that designing actor Kamal Haasan's look for the reality show Bigg Boss 4 Tamil was a 'collaborative and interactive' experience that helped her evolve as a professional. In an e-mail interview with DH, she also reveals that she got interested in the profession from a young age as the whole process made her feel happy.

(Edited excerpts)

How was the experience of designing Kamal Hassan's look for Bigg Boss 4 Tamil?

Designing for Kamal sir is an experience in itself. He is an encyclopedia (of knowledge) and it was like he was the boss while I served as the intern. He is open to suggestions and discusses everything. I go with a certain design/fabric and colors and he adds his own touch to it. Thereafter, I put the two together and come up with a revised sketch.
Things were quite challenging when we shot the first promo as Chennai was still under lockdown and we had access to only 30 per cent of the stores.

What factors did you keep in mind while working on the look?

I paid a lot of attention to the comfort (level), fabrics and cuts involved. The accessories used were also an important part of the look. For men, swatches and shoes are the best accessories. For footwear, I go in for customisation. I don't want to reveal much but there will be a statement in every accessory he wears.

Did you get to interact with Kamal while working on the project?

It was a completely interactive process. I basically work on it for a while, do my sketches and ultimately discuss things with Kamal sir. He improvises and then I create something else.

The next step is the swatches and then we put everything together to make the final sketch. Thereafter, we get into the actual process of making it. At times, we decide to change something during fittings. It is a very beautiful interactive and collaborative process where I get to learn a lot from my boss Kamal Haasan.

How did you get interested in styling?

I was interested in clothing from a very young age because I thought it gave me happiness. It was a very cheerful and positive process involving colours. Clothing people is great art by itself where you make people feel a certain way. It is a great feeling to cloth others. I realised this when I clothed (designed clothes for) myself.

How do you deal with creative blocks?

Creative blocks can be dealt with through better creative (innovative) solutions so I try to be positive. There is tension but I keep telling myself 'you can do it'. Generally speaking, being positive solves 50 percent of your problems.

Costuming for films is the craziest as things can change at the last minute and you might get only 20 hours to work on the new brief. You still need to deliver!

Who is your pillar of support?

There are several people who are my pillars of support--right from my friends to my directors. I turn to them in my hour of need. I have a bunch of people whom I am very very close to-- right from Shruti Haasan to Andrea Jeremiah. Moreover, directors like Vetrimaaran and Myskkin too are my pillars of support.