Aishwarya Rai’s iconic Devdas saree created overnight, says designer Neeta Lulla

One of the most iconic moments from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Devdas’ is Aishwarya Rai’s emotional climax scene. Her striking saree look made it even more unforgettable. However, the entire look was created overnight by designer Neeta Lulla. She revealed that director Sanjay Leela Bhansali asked for a change in the outfit just hours before the shoot. Lulla had to quickly source and prepare a 13-metre-long saree.

In a recent interview with News18, Neeta Lulla looked back at the experience of working on ‘Devdas’ and the unexpected pressure to deliver a new look in record time. “I had only overnight to create that look. The whole film featured sarees that were 12–14 metres long. I had cut up two or three sarees to create the entire ensemble. For the final scene, Sanjay felt he needed a cotton (Durga) Puja saree. We had the saree, and everything was ready. The night before the shoot at Filmistan, we were in Aishwarya’s van, looking at the outfit around 7 pm after pack-up.”

But the plan changed at the last minute. “At that moment, Sanjay said his idea was to have the saree’s pallu catch fire and felt it wouldn’t be long enough. Hearing this, I said, ‘Can I leave?’ He was confused. I left the set and started making calls, trying to figure out a solution,” she recalled.

With quick thinking and help from her team, Neeta pulled off the impossible. “I called one of my fabric vendors and got him to open his shop at 11 pm. In the meantime, I had asked my team of embroiderers to start working on borders and everything. By 8.30 am the next day, we had two 13-metre sarees ready on set.”

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s ‘Devdas’ is still considered one of his finest works. The 2002 film starred Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Madhuri Dixit in the lead roles, and was based on the 1917 novel by Sharat Chandra Chattopadhyay. It told the tragic love story of Devdas Mukherjee, who spirals into despair after being forbidden to marry his childhood love, Paro.

In the film’s climax, Paro runs through the haveli to see Devdas one last time before he dies. During this emotional scene, her saree pallu catches fire, creating a powerful visual in the film. ‘Devdas’ was a big hit and won five National Awards.