In conversation with Ehtesham Ansari; Talking Zhalay Sarhadi’s sexy blouse, the glorified mujra from Jalaibee and the future of stylists in Pakistani Cinema.  

by Momin Ali Munshi

Galaxy Lollywood has always tried to give you readers exclusive insights into the film industry by giving you stories and interviews which have never been done before. While interviews with actors, producers and directors is something that we have already done we thought we would go interview someone who has not had his voice heard before. Therefore Galaxy Lollywood Editor Momin Ali Munshi decided to talk to ace stylist and casting director Ehtesham Ansari and figure out how the styling business works here in our local industry. So here presenting you an exclusive one on one chat with Pakistan’s leading stylist Ehtesham Ansari himself. Excerpts from the conversation:-

Q How did you come into the industry? Specifically film styling?

I have been associated with it for ten years now, since my graduation to be more precise. I got my first job at the Jang group as a coordinator and stylist for “ Mag”, I then did my masters and worked in England for some time, but then came back and continued it here. Films, however, were missing all this time. Films are something that I enjoy to the level of personal passion and consider character development as something of a forte, and now Mash’Allah with all the revival we now have films and I have done two so far, both quite different from each other.

Q How did Jalaibee happen?

Ans. Yasir actually met me some four years back, when he was scripting the film, so I can be on record and say that I was the first one he hired for the film. He narrated the script and we started working on it. Initially I wasn’t the casting director but since I was developing the characters, he asked me to take on this job as well.

What does a stylist basically do.

A stylist basically develops the look and characters in the film, he is the one who transforms the actor into a character.

Do you think that stylists can or will play an important role in the future of cinema.

Yes, absolutely. See firstly,  Pakistan  is a very designer oriented market. Moreover in Pakistan we see more dramas and even most of the films now have drama people.  People need to understand that there is a huge difference between these two mediums and a stylist is very crucial here. You need a person who has a vision and the exposure to develop a character  and brings the actor into a look for a character. Yes, there are dimensions  like the “jaan daal daina” which is due to the actors acting skills but his look i.e how he will look, what he will wear, how will he talk, the texture of his hair etc that is all due to the stylist. If you go back in time a bit and see what the Lollywood superstars like Reema, Meera, Shaan looked like in their films you will notice that there was no characterization as such and to dress up they’d wear a suit and the character had no look. However there were films like Choodiyan where the film had a feel and the character had a proper defined look. Lastly make-up is an important part of this and one needs to create a proper structure which a stylist can help create.

Internationally we see that designers collaborate with film-makers and  give their clothes to a film. We saw that when HSY collaborated with Reema Khan for her film “Love Main Ghum” and recently HSY has collaborated again with the makers of the up-coming film “Dekh Magar Pyaar Say”. How important do you think such collaborations are. Also don’t they increase the budget of the film?

For my projects I have always got designers on board. And well, “budget toh hamari films main hain hee nahi”. People are just passionate about Pakistani Cinema and so things are usually being done on a costing price. For instance, Humayun (Alamgir) stiched Waqar’s clothes in “Jalaibee” and we took  Zhalay’s blouse in the changing scene from Mansoor Akram. That black dress she wore was something that I got from Mango. So designers are always on board!

Since you mentioned Zhalay’s blouse, I have a question that has been on my mind ever since I saw the film. Well, when the dance number came out lots of people praised Zhalay for dressing up the way she did and not revealing. However, there was this other section of the media that felt that the song lacked the oomph factor. The only question I have is that if she was going to be seen in a revealing sexy blouse on screen, why not be seen in that song too?

Well, in that scene of the film she was actually changing her costume backstage and I think it’s obvious that once you are changing into something else you are bound to reveal a bit more, right. For instance, in normal life, if I am changing my shirt you’ll see me with my buttons open and that’s how I’ll talk to someone who happens to be there in that particular setting? So that’s exactly what happened in that scene. The two characters walked in while she was changing her dress.

Also, that song was an entry song and not an item number. There is a huge difference between the two. For me, the song was a glorified mujra. If you go see a proper mujra, you’ll notice that although there are men who are seeing the mujra, the women are not wearing revealing outfits. You will not see a woman wearing a choli or something skimpy in a mujra. So for me this song was a glorified mujra and not a raunchy item number.

So it was a conscious decision on your part right? There were no issues with Zhalay as to ‘she saying I won’t wear this or that?’

No, absolutely not. Zhalay is a thorough professional. Yasir (the director) wanted his song to be enjoyed by families. Even if you see the choreography, it was not as if there were constant cleavage shots or her bum in the camera, it was very clean in that way and went with the director’s vision. Give me a song like Choli ke Peechey and i’ll make sure that you get something extremely raunchy. I don’t mind doing item numbers.

Okay coming back to the clothes, you buy these clothes, right? And what happens after?

Well yes, and then the clothes go into production. Up until the film releases,  all that stuff stays with the producer as maybe one needs to redo some portion or maybe some other promotional stuff needs to be shot. You pay for them and hence you own them.

Veena Malik on record said that while shooting for the film “Koi Tujh Sa Kahan,” the director Reema Khan asked her to come and shoot in whatever she was wearing, and now as you mentioned things have become completely different.  What changed?

Well I believe it’s all about the vision the director has for his project. Furthermore, I believe as the industry has evolved, the specialization factor has come into play, as in we now have make-up artists, stylists, costume designers, etc. This is something which was not that common a decade back. For instance, with designers you know if you want something dark you have Fahad Hussain, for something vintage you have Shamail, for trendy yet feminine clothes you have Sana Safinaz, so every designer has his own niche, his own signature style.

But the only concern I have is that how do you buy these Sana Safinaz, Fahad Hussain pieces and include them in a film where you barely have budget and these clothes are known to be quite pricey.

Well the thing is that most of these outfits are glamorous red carpet looks and a normal character in a film will obviously not be wearing them. Like in Zinda Bhaag, Amna Ilyas was a salesgirl, so you wouldn’t expect her in Elan, would you? So you go to a darzi and get the customized look.  You are developing a character and not creating a fashion model. Moreover, most of these fancy outfits are used in songs and for the songs you have a separate budget, which is not part of the film. The set, the costumes, the props everything is not part of the films budget its  part of a separate budget i.e the songs own budget.

Usually in Bollywood we see certain actors being trendsetters and creating a particular look. For instance Salman Khan from Tere Naam and that hairstyle (as hideous as it might be), Kareena Kapoor and the patiala shalwars from Jab We Met. But here in Pakistan, we haven’t had any such defining look. Zhalay Sarhadi from Jalaibee could somewhat we termed as a look but we don’t have a look as such. Do you see that changing in the future?

Well, here in Pakistan things are just starting out. And this is based on detailing. The more detail you put in a film the more it stands out.  In Bollywood and Hollywood when you have a first look launch, there is tremendous buzz surrounding the film. For instance, with Priyanka Chopra’s dance number in Ram Leela, nobody knew what she was wearing and hence there was this mystery which generated the buzz and worked in her favor. Coming here to Pakistan, someone wears a ‘saree’ at an award function and then you see an actress wearing that in a film. Now that outfit will never have its exclusivity and will obviously not create as much buzz. Even if you get Aishwariya Rai for a film, unless you work hard on the look, there will be no impact. People working on upcoming films should really take into account the fact that if some clothing item has already been worn somewhere else, it should not be reused in a film. Likewise, if something is first being used in a film, it should be made sure that it’s not going to be seen anywhere else up until the film has hit cinemas. Go for exclusive customized pieces!

( We believe that its this Nomi Ansari saree that Ehtesham was talking about)

Any future projects? Weren’t you doing Jhol?

Yes I was doing Jhol but then once Iman Ali was no more a part of the film I decided to quit too. I won’t get into much details but all I’ll say is that there were creative differences. As for future projects, well in films there are a couple of projects that I am reading the scripts of, but I want to work with a properly organized production. Sympathy and the charity card should be stopped i.e  “Aap please cinema kay liyay kuch kardain. Budget nahi hay lekin please kardain hamain cinema kay liyay kuch karna hay.” Once we have a few big budget productions, this will and has to stop. We need to invest in the styling departments so that the film does not end up looking like a drama or a music video. Just see Mah-e-Meer. The film has a feel, it has a look and you want to go check it out. I want good organized people with whom I can create something interesting. I don’t mind working with the new talent and I certainly don’t mind working with our old guns like Resham or Meera.

Well I hope that they come back to the industry as we don’t really see them.

I think people should cast them and write scripts for them. In India, they write scripts for Sri Devi , for Madhuri, so why not here?

Don’t you feel this hostility between these old Lollywood stars and the new wave of actors?

I believe all of them are a part of Pakistan’s film industry first and that’s it. This old VS new debate is pointless. These superstars have the experience  and exposure. “Patharon par nangay paaon naachee hain.” Do you think these new actresses will do that? No!

So you want the Lollywod superstars to come back?

Yes definitely, I think Reema should come back and make a film. Shaan should direct a film. We cannot leave them and move ahead. Even the veteran directors should collaborate with the new ones. These people are our legends and we need to give them the respect they deserve .I would love to do a film with our veterans.

Any film you wish you were a part of?

Yeah I wish I had gotten a chance to work on Mah-e-Meer ,the film according to me has a soul and I could have worked wonders for it.

Any last words?

For the audience I’d like to say that don’t judge a film just by its trailer. Also don’t give in to the ‘Support Pakistani Cinema’ card that people will not stop playing. Go see a film and form your own honest opinion. Every director is currently experimenting and trying to find his genre. Give your honest opinion so the director knows what the audience likes. For the production houses, studios and directors, I’ll say that there is not only your star cast but the entire crew which should be given the respect it needs. Give the art director, the stylist, the light boy the dignity the respect as it’s the collective effort of all these people that makes a complete film.