Kantara: Pragathi Shetty reveals Challenges of Designing Costumes for the Drama

The Kannada movie, Kantara has gone global in the nativity of its storytelling. The content, the script, the narration, the music, and everything related to this movie has been a topic of discussion since its release. Rishab Shetty, the actor-director of this drama has a solid backup in his wife Pragathi Shetty, who is also the costume designer for Kantara.

In a detailed conversation with News18.com, Pragathi Shetty disclosed the effort that has gone into giving rise to the world of Kantara into reality on screen through well-researched and tailored costumes. She revealed that overall it should be around 1000-plus costumes. The costume of the leads was around 350 with 10 changeovers. Rishab’s role had roughly 20 sets and Sapthami Gowda (lead actress) had twice the number.

She said, “As soon as the script was ready and I got the narration, I began my research. I was pregnant with my daughter at that time. I visited a couple of Guthinamane (the family house of the people who are leaders of the village in coastal Karnataka) and checked their old photographs. The reference for the attire and jewellery of the king and queen came from there. I also visited museums of Rani Abbakka and collected several images of that era which helped a great deal.”

She added, “Kantara spans across ages. The early era where Shiva’s father was performing the Kola and the later major part where Shiva’s story happens are in completely different periods. I had to be cautious since the story revolves around a demi-god who is revered by many. The overall costumes vary completely in these two zones. If you observe even the Panjurli (the demi-god avatar) costume has differences which can be made out at the end of the movie when both the roles meet. But the costumes of Panjurli were completely done by the people who are actually a part of Kola, I had nothing to do with it. It is followed in a certain divine way and it was let to be in that way.”

Pragati further said, “I have played the role of the queen that comes at the beginning of the movie. I have worn 3 sarees and each saree has a story. I wanted a specific material and color that is not in vogue now but is vibrant nonetheless since the role is of a different era of a queen. One saree, the yellow one is a banarasi saree with an artistic pallu as the highlight. It had to be a 50-year-old one but it isn’t. Thankfully, it can’t be made out on camera. The second saree, a maroon-colored one is my mom’s wedding saree. And the third one is of an old woman whom I know. The whole sequence of king and queen comes for roughly 2 minutes on screen but was shot for 15 days – day and night at a stretch. Ranvith and Radhya, my kids play the same role (the queen’s kids) in the movie.”