Rekha Boggarapu, the brilliant mind behind the costumes for most characters in the Telugu film Mirai, (with the exception of lead actor Teja Sajja), expresses a mix of relief and immense pride over what she considers her most demanding project to date. She commends cinematographer-director Karthik Gattamneni and his dedicated team for their meticulous preparation and seamless communication throughout the process. “We had absolute clarity on each character’s background story, the production design, and the specific colors and textures we wanted to achieve,” she recalls.
Rekha’s cinematic journey began with the 2018 spy thriller Goodachari. Her portfolio quickly expanded to include Major, designing for Adivi Sesh in HIT 2, contributing to parts of Gaami, and styling numerous music videos and web series.
From Law to Loom: An Unconventional Path to Fashion Design
Rekha candidly admits that pursuing fashion design and a career in cinema was far from a straightforward choice. With a postgraduate degree in constitutional law and diplomas in forensic sciences and fashion design, she chuckles at the unusual combination. “I come from a family deeply rooted in academics. My grandfather was a retired headmaster, my mother is an educationist, and my father is a lawyer with the Crime Branch, Crime Investigation Department,” she explains.
Despite her academic prowess, Rekha felt no pull towards traditional fields like medicine or engineering. When she expressed her desire to pursue a creative path, she initially faced parental apprehension. “After completing my law degree, I felt a strong urge to venture beyond the comfortable boundaries my parents had set for me,” she shares.
(An image depicts Shriya Saran in the film and a sketch of her costume design.)
She eventually convinced her family to support her dream of opening a boutique and starting her own design work. An unexpected turn of events paved her way into cinema: an actor approached her to create outfits for a photoshoot, leading to a cascade of opportunities. That same actor then recommended her to a film crew in search of a costume designer. “That’s how I first connected with director Sashi Kiran Tikka, actor Adivi Sesh, and the talented team behind Goodachari,” she recounts.
Embracing Authenticity: The Essence of Realistic Costuming
Rekha’s design philosophy prioritizes making characters appear as authentic as possible on screen, a principle that proved highly effective in films like Goodachari and Major. “It was incredibly gratifying when the Indian Army approved our costume designs for Major, the biopic of Major Sandeep Unnikrishnan, without any objections. The uniforms for both army personnel and police officers were intentionally kept subtle, ensuring they didn’t distract from the storytelling,” she proudly remembers.
From that point forward, she adopted a steadfast rule: thoroughly understand each character and their narrative. “Knowing a character’s background, their educational journey, their problem-solving approaches, and other nuances makes the design process significantly smoother,” she emphasizes.
For films like Gaami and Mirai, Rekha was tasked with crafting looks for entirely imaginative worlds. She contributed to certain segments of Gaami before taking a maternity leave.
Mirai presented Rekha with an expansive canvas, featuring a diverse cast including Shriya Saran, Manchu Manoj, Jayaram, Jagapathi Babu, Ritika Nayak, alongside a multitude of supporting and junior artists. “The true challenge lay in the fact that we consciously avoided drawing inspiration from international cinema for any of the character looks,” she explains.
For Shriya Saran, embodying Ambica, the matriarch of a spiritual order, Rekha meticulously layered rich silk and velvet. “In a pivotal self-immolation scene, we used five distinct fabrics: a silk skirt, a raw silk blouse adorned with crochet lace, and a Chinon silk dupatta embellished with velvet details, among others. Shriya’s attire was opulent yet understated, perfectly reflecting a wise woman with prophetic abilities.” In stark contrast, Ritika Nayak, who played a young sadhvi, was dressed in garments made from soft, natural cottons.
A Symphony of Colors and Textures
Rekha creatively incorporated household items like curtains, throws, and blankets to introduce diverse textures, skillfully blending them with traditional fabrics. Jayaram, portraying the revered sage Agastya, was adorned in shawls with elegantly bordered edges and subtle yet impactful details, such as long, dark nails that were barely perceptible on screen.
Manchu Manoj, playing Mahavir Lama, the formidable figure wielding the black sword, was cloaked in layers of deep red, black, and brown. “His elaborate costume featured multiple layers, symbolizing the numerous obstacles he had to overcome to realize his destructive ambitions. Reflecting his dark past, his attire offered no hint of hope. The fabrics themselves possessed a subtle shimmer, hinting at the immense wealth he accumulated alongside his growing power,” she elaborates.
Embracing the Shades of Black
Rekha points out a visual parallel between Manoj’s character and Jagapathi Babu, who portrays the ancient guardian of one of the seven mystical granths. “The prevalence of black in their costumes signifies their mastery over dark magic. However, Jagapathi Babu’s character harnesses his profound knowledge for altruistic purposes, hence the black in his attire is softened with vibrant streaks of red and orange,” she clarifies.
(An image shows Manchu Manoj as the Black Sword and a sketch of his costume design.)
She admits to losing track of the sheer number of characters she designed. Some sequences, including scenes at the Kumbh Mela and a song featuring Nidhhi Agerwal with a large group of dancers, were ultimately trimmed to shorten the film’s runtime. Other portions required bespoke costumes for characters based in Japan and Morocco. “Given that the film’s production spanned a considerable period, some of my assistants moved on. However, at any given time, I maintained a dedicated on-set team of two to ten individuals to ensure smooth production and fittings,” she details.
Rekha consciously opted not to design for Teja Sajja’s superhero persona, Superyodha. “It would have simply been too overwhelming. About a week into filming, when the filmmakers suggested bringing in another designer, I readily agreed. Lanka Santoshi, who previously designed for Teja’s earlier films like Hanu-Man, expertly took over that responsibility,” she explains.
Currently, Rekha is busy with a slate of upcoming projects: the sequel to Goodachari, titled G2; Dacoit, starring Adivi Sesh and Mrunal Thakur; Dandora, featuring Sivaji and Laya; and a new film with Sharwanand. “Among these, Dandora stands out as a smaller, yet profoundly moving and impactful story,” she shares.
What truly validates her journey, she concludes, is witnessing her parents’ appreciation for her work on Mirai. “I now understand their initial hesitations about my chosen career path. It brings me immense joy that they are proud of my accomplishments,” she reflects.