Costume Designer Smriti Chauhan Breaks Down Akshaye Khanna’s Viral Moment and the Challenges of Working on Dhurandhar

Why It Matters

The award highlights how strategic costume design can shape a film’s visual identity and drive audience engagement, setting a benchmark for large‑scale Bollywood productions. It underscores the growing recognition of behind‑the‑scenes talent in India’s entertainment industry.

Key Takeaways

• Chauhan designed 10,000 costumes and 1,000 Pathani outfits in 30 days
• Akshaye Khanna’s Sher‑e‑Baloch scene used all‑black look and sunglasses
• Director Aditya Dhar emphasized building a distinct visual world for Dhurandhar
• Costume design contributed to Dhurandhar winning Best Costume at Chetak Awards

Pulse Analysis

Costume design has long been a silent engine of Bollywood’s visual storytelling, but Smriti Chauhan’s work on *Dhurandhar* pushes the craft into the spotlight. By crafting over 10,000 garments and fine‑tuning details for thousands of background artists, Chauhan turned a massive production into a coherent visual narrative. Her decision to dress Akshaye Khanna in an all‑black outfit with sunglasses for the Sher‑e‑Baloch coronation not only differentiated the character but also reinforced the film’s thematic contrast between color and darkness.

The collaboration between Chauhan and director Aditya Dhar illustrates a growing trend where costume departments are integral to world‑building. Early briefings emphasized creating a distinct visual universe, prompting the team to research Pakistani locales and translate that aesthetic into fabric, texture, and palette. The strategic use of color—starting with subtle hues that fade into black as the protagonist’s arc progresses—demonstrates how costume can mirror narrative beats, adding emotional depth without dialogue. Such meticulous planning is essential for action‑heavy sequences where rapid camera movements demand consistent visual continuity.

Recognition at the Chetak Screen Awards signals a shift in industry valuation of design talent, encouraging studios to allocate larger budgets to costume departments. As Indian cinema scales up with multi‑part epics and global distribution ambitions, the demand for designers who can manage volume while preserving artistic integrity will rise. Chauhan’s success story serves as a case study for emerging designers: mastering logistics, embracing collaborative vision, and delivering a visual language that resonates with both critics and audiences.