Mauli
Directed by Aditya Sarpotdar
Maul is a story of twin brothers who share the same name which released in 2018. They are poles apart from each other. One brother is fierce whereas the other one is naive and plays by the rule book. The protagonist is a police inspector and his twin brother is a secret kept away from the world. It’s a film emphasizing the triumph of good over evil. I had an opportunity to work as an assistant to costume designer to Sachin Lovalekar on this project.
The film is set in a small village called Kapur in interiors of Maharashtra. A region heavily marred with droughts and high occurrence of farmer suicides. Understanding the regional clothing mannerism was crucial to create the authentic village environment. Men are observed mostly in white or pastel colors with regional headgears and women adding the pop of color with their nine yard sarees.
The film takes a turn when the protagonist is challenged to face the powerful local goon - Nana, he dominates the village, he is raw, ruthless and most importantly doesn't like to be challenged.
Expressing Nana and his ego from his garments was essential. He had to stand out and dress differently from the villagers exuding raw power from his demeanor. We consciously chose colors which are dark and fabrics which are rich texture to impart dominance and place him high on a pedestal in comparison to villagers.
The film has a prominent religious theme which revolves around procession of god Vithu mauli called ‘Wari’. It is a yearly event which is indigenous to Pandharpur region of Maharashtra. Curating the costumes of the crowd by adding thoughtful iconic characters of religious importance like ‘Vasudev’ was key to getting the milieu right.
Director : Aditya Sarpotdar
Writer : Kshitij Patwardhan
producer : Genilia D'souza & Mumbai film company