MUMBAI : With her ensembles for the May 31 release of "Mr and Mrs Mahi," Janhvi Kapoor has been taking centre stage. Janhvi matched the film's theme with his advertising outfits, which included a Kanjivaram saree with hand-printed cricket motifs and a garment adorned with tiny cricket balls. Although it's known as "method dressing," this isn't the first instance of it.
Do you recall Alia Bhatt donning white sarees for "Gangubai Kathiyawadi" promotions? Or Vidya Balan at the time of "Kahaani" and "The Dirty Picture" advertising. Let's look back at the occasions when performers choose to method dress and evaluate the effects it has on the film.
The stylist who fashioned Alia Bhatt's ensemble for "Gangubai Kathiawadi," Sheetal Iqbal Varma, claims that method dressing actually fosters relatability with the audience—particularly in the smaller towns. Hussain Zaidi's book "Mafia Queens of Bombay" served as the idea for the all-white ensemble."So there was this character Gangubai, he had mentioned in the book that he wore a lot of white with a lot of jewels like gold and diamonds. So keeping that in mind, we designed the entire character. Also the way politicians wear white and the colour makes a statement. So, the inspiration for the look came from there. Later, during promotions, we extended the majority of the character. In some of the promotions, Alia was wearing the same sunglasses, a rose in her hair. It wasn't like a girl next door kind of vibe where she can even wear a summer dress and walk around to promote it. Even when she was sitting in a double-decker bus, she opted for a white mulmul saree with sleeveless blouse for the promotional event."
Sharma gave an example of a blockbuster movie, 'Mimi'. "For the promotions of Mimi, Kriti Sanon was wearing a lot of sarees and anarkalis, which gives that mature, serious vibe. I think when actors go to these smaller cities or sometimes even big cities to promote the film, people can relate to that and can see the character walking in front of them. I think method dressing is the only way promotions are becoming more impactful," said Sharma.
Method dressing is more of a marketing tactic than a creative choice made by a designer or stylist, and it merely serves to reinforce the intended message of the movie.Neeraj Joshi, Head of Marketing, Zee Studios, says, "Presenting an actor in a visually contextual manner to the film they’re currently promoting adds to the credibility of the content as well as provides visual differentiation in the times of social media excess. It takes a great amount of intelligence to arrive at the simplest, yet elegant solutions. It helps sync the optics of the film. The artists represent the film during promotions and audiences seeing them in the films avtaar help reinforce the film way more strongly. The same was done for 'Gadar 2' where Sunny Deol was always Tara Singh."
During the "Kahaani" advertising, Vidya Balan pretended to be pregnant, which was beneficial to the movie. Filmmaker Sujoy Ghosh believes that one can only attempt, even though it is impossible to predict how it would affect the movie's success. "I think what really worked for us during 'Kahaani' is when we put out a poster of Vidya saying that she's looking for her husband. So, she then carried that pregnant look through the promotions. You can only try promoting your products in a manner you believe in and then see what happens because nobody has a perfect formula to do that. You try something out and you see how it works."
Vidya Balan's seamless transition from vintage clothes and sarees to her Silk Smitha avatar during the 'The Dirty Picture' promotional campaign is still remembered.Designer Niharika Bhasin who had worked on Vidya's costumes for the film says, "Method dressing for film promotions plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall narrative and building a deeper connection with the audience. As a costume designer, I believe there are two primary approaches: contextually-driven films and genre-specific films like romantic comedies or action movies."
Following the same she said, "For contextually-driven films, where the storyline is anchored in a particular era or carries a distinct cultural backdrop, method dressing becomes an integral part of the promotional strategy. For instance, Janhvi Kapoor's promotional attire for 'Mr and Mrs Mahi' closely aligns with the film's cricket theme, adding an authentic touch that resonates with the audience. Similarly, Alia Bhatt embodied her 'Gangubai Kathiawadi' character during the film's promotions, creating a seamless transition from screen to real life. This practice not only reinforces the character's persona but also immerses the audience in the film's world, making the narrative more compelling." Niharika strongly feels, "This approach ensures that the audience remains engaged and intrigued by the story and its characters, extending their cinematic experience beyond the theatre. In essence, method dressing for film promotions serves as a powerful tool in bridging the gap between the reel and real worlds."
Method dressing, according to Deepesh Shah, the founder and managing partner of Yellow Inc, a film marketing organisation, offers incredibly powerful PR anchors.He said,"If it’s an integrated activity (PR, Posters & Promos) the looks becomes iconic and pull factor audience, like Vidya’s look in 'The Dirty Picture and 'Kahaani'. Even Alia wearing her clothes from 'Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahaani' became a fashion statement. Janvi wearing a cricket ball inspired dress is an interesting PR peg for her in the cricket season, surely generates conversation on social media but it has limited impact for Mr and Mrs Mahi.”
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Credit:timesofindia
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