Their style and oomph set the screen ablaze last year. But in 2009, they are headed in the opposite direction.
Back then, Katrina flaunted mini skirts as Saif's enticing secretary in Race; Aishwarya was a picture of elegance in lavish jewellery in Jodhaa Akbar; and Priyanka looked her hottest in Fashion and Dostana. All that glamour is being scaled back as Katrina appears as a politician—modelled on Sonia Gandhi, it has been speculated — in Prakash Jha's Rajniti; Aishwarya goes plain Jane (if that’s possible) in Mani Ratnam's Ravana; and Priyanka plays a Marathi mulgi in Kaminay.
“It felt like I was naked,” says Priyanka of her no make-up look in the Vishal Bhardwaj film, which sees her dressed like a traditional Maharashtrian woman. “One is so used to make-up. But Vishal was adamant. Seeing his vision, I drew confidence and agreed.” Her character doesn’t have the glamourous setting of Dostana's Miami condo, since in this film, she lives in a Mumbai chawl.
Priyanka’s stylist, Chandigarh-based Dolly Ahluwalia, recalls how the actress shrieked on hearing about her look. “What all do you guys want me to do,” Priyanka had said in disbelief. “But once convinced, she was all for it,” says Dolly.
If Priyanka was spooked by the no make-up look, Prakash Jha, who has put his heroine in plain cotton saris, does not see what the fuss is about. "Sirf acting hi toh hai, koi pataal se paani toh nahi nikalna hai,” says Jha. But he applauds Katrina’s dedication and discipline. “It is courageous to take up such a role. We have shot in real circumstances, with crowds, under the harsh sun, but she never threw a tantrum.”
Mani Ratnam, meanwhile, has given the shapely Ash loose kalidar suits and put her hair in a tight plait. Look closely and you do see a hint of make-up, but only just.
Not easy, no sir
Making these women look unglamorous is not easy, considering they are all known for their style quotient. “Last year, Priyanka ruled the screen with her style and attitude. This year, Kaminay would be her first release, and we had to take all that [glamour] away from her,” says Ahluwalia. Toning down measures include “clipping their nails” and “decolouring their hair”, says Nikhar Dhawan, who styled Ash’s deglam look in Guru. For Kaminay, Priyanka is wearing clothes that are dirt cheap by Bollywood standards. Her costliest outfit came for Rs 3,000, including the tailor’s fee. Katrina’s stylist reveals, “She herself co-ordinated her saris and chappals.”
Not easy, no sir
Making these women look unglamorous is not easy, considering they are all known for their style quotient. “Last year, Priyanka ruled the screen with her style and attitude. This year, Kaminay would be her first release, and we had to take all that [glamour] away from her,” says Ahluwalia. Toning down measures include “clipping their nails” and “decolouring their hair”, says Nikhar Dhawan, who styled Ash’s deglam look in Guru. For Kaminay, Priyanka is wearing clothes that are dirt cheap by Bollywood standards. Her costliest outfit came for Rs 3,000, including the tailor’s fee. Katrina’s stylist reveals, “She herself co-ordinated her saris and chappals.”