‘I’ve given Rahman an MJ-like look’
Come June and the Mozart of Madras, A.R. Rahman, will be seen in an all-new avatar. And no, we are not talking about his new hairstyle or his ‘vested’ look here. Fans will soon see the music maestro in a look modelled after that of pop star Michael Jackson. Well-known designer Ritu Beri has been asked to style the wardrobe for Rahman and his entire troupe for his highly anticipated, upcoming “Jai Ho: The Journey Home” World Tour 2010, which will kick-start on June 11 in New York and travel to over 20 major arenas and cities worldwide.
Ritu describes the job of designing for ARR as a challenging one and says it is like “doing five couture shows, all in one”. She says, “Working with a composer of Rahman’s calibre has been very exciting and it was a prestigious assignment. Designing for him is a unique experience as he is so simple and down-to-earth and just lets creative people do their job.”
Ask her if she had to restrict her choice of colours to Rahman’s preferred shades of white and black and she exclaims, “I think he has evolved from the blacks and whites and has changed his sartorial style very much. We have experimented with burgundy jackets and a lot of stripes. In fact, one of his looks is so much like Michael Jackson, as he dons a nice cap and a long jacket.”
Ritu has designed LED costumes for Rahman and the entire cast and has worked along with the tour’s creative director, Amy Tinkham, who in the past has directed concerts for pop icons like Britney Spears, the Backstreet Boys and Mariah Carey. “It’s always the Indian element which brings excitement to my designs. There are over 300 clothes, which spell youthful modernity and have a distinctively Indian touch with a new, modern presentation,” says Ritu.
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