“Designing Dreams” is an interview with Bhanu Athaiya, the renowned Indian costume designer and painter. The lesson presents her life, career, achievements, work habits, and views on success. It also shows how she created a special place for herself in the male-dominated world of cinema.
Bhanu Athaiya is best known as the first Indian to win an Academy Award. She won the Oscar for Best Costume Design for the film Gandhi in 1983. However, she says that when the film was released, she was already successful in her own country. She never expected an Oscar because Los Angeles seemed very far away from Bombay. For her, awards were not the most important matter. The real challenge was to portray a story authentically through costumes.
In the interview, she explains the difference between fashion design and costume design. Fashion design mainly focuses on creating beautiful and stylish clothes. Costume design, on the other hand, is the art of shaping the look of a character so that it suits the story of a film. A costume designer must understand the time period, character, culture, mood, and background of the story.
Bhanu Athaiya says that she was a gold medallist from the JJ School of Arts. While working at Eve’s Weekly as a fashion illustrator, her sketches were noticed and appreciated. This encouraged her to enter the film industry. Before her entry, the process of costume selection was less organised. Directors and designers would work with tailors or shop for costumes. Bhanu’s involvement made the process more systematic. She listened carefully to the director’s vision, made sketches, met the actors, and finalised the costumes.
Her professional life was very busy. She worked in regional, Indian, and international cinema, as well as theatre. She usually began her day early and worked for eight to ten hours. Travel was also an important part of her work. She visited museums and collected references whenever possible. For period films, she depended on detailed research. For example, while working on Lagaan, she bought books from abroad to understand and design the British regiment uniforms accurately.
Bhanu Athaiya also speaks about her book The Art of Costume Design. The book brings together important moments from her career and includes costumes that the audience fondly remembers. It is mainly a pictorial coffee-table book, but it also gives readers useful details about her journey and work.
When asked about balancing work and personal life, she says that work comes first. She believes that if people are born for a particular purpose, they should follow their vocation with dedication. Everyone must listen to the heart and give their best to the work they are meant to do.
As a woman, Bhanu Athaiya had to enter a male-dominated field. Her real breakthrough came when she moved to Bombay at the age of seventeen. She got a part-time job while studying and told her mother not to send her money anymore. This shows her independence and determination. She believes that earning independence and a sense of direction in life is empowering. When a woman becomes self-sufficient, she gains the freedom to make her own choices.
She advises women to find their vocation at a young age and give their best to it. According to her, success comes when one works hard and becomes good at one’s craft. She says that instead of seeking the spotlight, one should focus sincerely on the work. Then the work itself will find its own voice.
Bhanu Athaiya also gives advice to parents. She says that parents should observe their children’s aptitude and encourage it. As a child, she was exposed to art, and that helped her discover her talent. She believes that children should be introduced to new ideas and a wide range of experiences so that they can discover themselves.
Thus, “Designing Dreams” is an inspiring lesson about creativity, hard work, self-belief, independence, and dedication. Bhanu Athaiya’s life teaches us that success is achieved through passion, discipline, research, and commitment to one’s chosen field.
1.FUFI 2.SO MUCH HAPPINESS 3.AN ANGEL IN DISGUISE 4.A DRAUGHT OF KINDNESS 5.OZYMANDIAS 6.CLASSIC CARS -POETRY ON WHEELS 7.A RETRIEVED REFORMATION 8.WOMEN'S WORLD 9` THE WINDOW IS BLURRED 10.WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD 11.CAT IN AN EMPTY APARTMENT 12.RADHA,JUST RADHA 13.LET'S LIVE WITH THEM 14.ACROSS THE GRAVEYARD OF SHIPS 15.THE TROUBLE WITH EGGS 16.DESIGNING DREAMS