From fashion designer to costume designer to film director, Vikram Phadnis has explored myriad parts of the creative universe. He ventured into costume designing for Bollywood with Biwi No.1 (1999), which started Salman Khan and Sushmita Sen. And very aptly, for his 35 years anniversary, both of them were the centers of attraction. While Sushmita opened the show talking about her equation with Vikram, Salman turned showstopper for the night. While marking his 35th year in the business, he was showcasing his new collection, Ananta.
Sushmita Sen: Vikram and me are the only people I know who don't have a PR
"When we completed that film, I had made a friend, who I have been so proud of my entire life. Because he's been a hustler, ladies and gentlemen. A man who's had nothing given to him on a platter. The only other guy I know other than myself who's never really had a PR. We've always believed that we find the right people and they will come to help us when the time comes. And all of you sitting in this room must applaud yourself because he considers you to be those people. Thank you for making a difference to the life of a man I considered my friend and somebody who has deeply moved me on many occasions, stories of which are too personal to tell and to share here. But Vikram, wherever you're hiding my love tonight, please don't hide. Tonight you show up and let this room and this world applaud your journey of 35 long years," said Sushmita Sen, as she opened the fashion show for the night.
Giving it all up
Just before the show began, a video showcasing Vikram's past fashion and film work was beamed for all of us to see.
"It's been so many years behind the curtain, cueing lights, perfecting walks, setting the rhythm of shows. And that's where I fell in love with the drama of fashion and my love for design. One garment at a time. I started building a language of my own fabric, emotion and sentiments. And then cinema came calling. Costume design became my new canvas. I wasn't just dressing actors. I was shaping characters. A dupatta wasn't just an accessory. A colour wasn't just a choice. And that's where I learned storytelling. Designing costumes for films taught me how to create every single character. How to understand their silences, backstories and their dreams. And then translate that into fabric," Vikram's voice over said.
"But the deeper I went into storytelling through costume, the stronger the desire to tell stories through a lens, through frames, through silence and through scenes. And so I made the hardest decision of my life. To give it all up. Even if it came with a lot of sacrifice. To walk away from costume design and cinema. Something I did with years of love and take the leap into direction. This has been the toughest decision I made in being 35 years."
Vikram went on to add, "When I finally stepped into direction, I poured my heart into every frame. Just as I once did with every sketch. I began my career as a filmmaker, writing and directing regional cinema. My films at Marathi were made with honesty and soul. Both my films were deeply personal and they came from a place of truth. And I went on to win the state awards for my role as a film director. That moment told me I was on the right path. But those films didn't just mark my transition. They cemented my belief that no matter what the meaning was at heart, I was always a storyteller. Even today, though I've stepped away from designing costumes, cinema hasn't left me. The spirit still lives in everything item."
"In the silhouettes I create and now in the stories I get. It taught me that emotion always comes first, whether a garment or a screenplay. I may have walked a different path today. But I am who I am because of India. Cinema has given me a sense of belonging in an industry filled with legends, challenged me, shaped me and gave me the confidence to believe that I had something of value to offer. It gave me recognition, purpose and my identity. And I will always carry that gift with pride, love and deep, eternal gratitude. 35 years have passed but I still carry the same file," Vikram added.
Salman Bhai in the house!
Post his ramp walk, which obviously was met with thunderous applause, as Salman was being given the mike to speak, Vikram frankly quipped how over the last 6 days he has been worried about what asaan might say, "So just discount 50 per cent of what he says," Vikram said to chuckles from the audience.
"He's my brother," Salman opened with just these three words.
"Sush, he went to Miami to get your clothes, and for my clothes he went to Galaxy," said Salman to guffaws from the audiences and then went to speak about the time when Vikram had given a head and back massage, much to Vikram's embarrassment on stage.
But their bond showed on stage, and not only when Vikram mentioned how Salman made his first passport and showed him a side of the world he had never seen before. It was also an emotional moment for Vikram, as he had just lost his father a month ago, and his mother sometime back.
Bollywood, Hollywood and beyond
The Science student who switched to commerce and then turned to fashion designing has also designed clothes for celebrities like Naomi Campbell, and post costume designing for Bollywood, directed two Marathi films Hrudayantar (2017) and Smile Please (2019). And for those in attendance, they would certainly be looking forward to his next fashion extravaganza.
