The Indian Express (Delhi Edition)
Out of the Grid
Tiger Shroff, whose second film Baaghi releases this week, talks about the physical and emotional journey of playing a rebel
What can you tell us about Ronny, the character you play in Baaghi?
He is very rebellious at the start of the film and gradually learns that this is not such a bad thing, as long as it is nurtured and expressed the right way. He needs to understand how to channelise this rebellious streak towards a maksad, a goal. He’s a tough nut to crack and he becomes even tougher by the end of the film.
The action sequences we’ve seen so far look difficult.
The physical preparation for this film was a huge challenge. I had to go through intensive physical training for about eight months, as part of a workshop. I think that’s part of the reason we took so long to come out with the film.
What did the workshop entail as part of your physical preparation?
I had to learn a martial art form called Kalaripayattu. It is considered the mother of all martial arts. This art form was alien to me and my trainer put me through the grind.
Working on the film was emotionally and mentally draining as well because, after all the physical damage I put myself through, I still had to grit my teeth and go through the long schedule. That was a very stressful and hectic period.
Do you see yourself as an action star among the current crop of actors?
I’m just trying to make a mark. My first film was well-received by the audience, but I think that was a big stroke of luck. I want to be very sure that people will not write me off as a one-film wonder. It’s very important that Baaghi make a mark, so that I can get the stamp and recognition. I’m here to stay.
What was it like working with Shraddha Kapoor, who you have known since childhood?
Shraddha and I were in the same school and, as far as I remember, she was the star of the school. She was the leader, who would get things done, always be on top of things and be at the centre of every play. I was like this loser kid in the corner, looking up to her and thinking, ‘I have a crush on this girl. I want to be like her someday’. It’s so great to be working with her now. She’s such a funloving girl, with such positive vibes. DESIGNER BIBHU Mohapatra may be the toast of New York fashion circles and count the US First Lady Michelle Obama among his regular clients but, when it comes to creative inspiration, he still turns to his Indian roots. The Odisha-born and New York-based designer has, time and again, drawn sartorial sustenance from the colours, fabrics and embroideries of his homeland and given them his quintessential global flourish. It is this confluence of East meets West that informs his latest collaboration — a line of fine jewellery crafted exclusively for Forevermark India, a brand from De Beers.
Artemis, the debut collection of this collaboration, was launched at a star-studded event in Mumbai on Monday, where debutante actor Athiya Shetty and veteran model Ujjwala Raut walked the ramp, sporting curated looks from Mohapatra’s Fall-winter 2016 clothes line. “Fine jewellery was always on my mind. I was looking to partner with a brand whose principles and ideas aligned with ours. When Forevermark approached us, it seemed like the perfect fit,” he says. The show in Mumbai — conceived to “showcase how the two brands have worked together, merged and created a unique voice” — wasn’t the first time that the designer has collaborated with Forevermark India on a runway presentation.
In the two years that it took for this collection to be conceived, executed and actualised, the designer and the diamond brand treated fashion watchers to an affiliation of a different kind, where Forevermark India accessorised models for Mohapatra’s Spring 2016 and Fall 2016 shows at New York Fashion Week in complementing pieces from their stable. “These were just teasers of what we had in store. It only made our shared ideologies and vision stronger,” says the designer.
While Mohapatra’s earliest memory of jewellery stems from his mother’s red bundle of family heirloom pieces that abounded with shared histories and legacies, it’s only fitting that the theme for Artemis comes from his heritage as well. “I knew it had to be something that came from a pure place; straight from my heart and culture. For my research, I turned to Vedic scriptures where the alignment of the sun, moon and stars govern the compatibility of people and determine how bonds are created. The idea appealed to me since these celestial objects have been there forever, and so have diamonds, which take hundreds of years to form,” he says.
Much like Mohapatra’s design philosophy and aesthetics, where sharp structuring blends seamlessly with softer silhouettes, the jewellery collection is a study in contrasts. Clusters of golden stars surround the moon in a pair of drop earrings, while another star sits atop a mariner’s compass medallion forming the centrepiece for neckpieces, earrings and bracelets. Cuffs in brushed metal, bracelets with gold texturing and pendants with crescent moons continue the celestial story. And a central Forevermark diamond emerges as the definitive element in each design.
While the diamonds that give Artemis its sparkle may be rare and distinct, Mohapatra has created a wearable line of earrings, rings, bracelets, pendants and brooches. “Our aim was to create fine jewellery, albeit luxury, which includes rather than exclude people. Which is why we’ve worked on a varied range with different price points. This is not a line-up of one-of-a-kind rarefied jewellery, but pieces that people will make part of their everyday lives. These are very uniquely designed pieces, with stones that are rare, and more importantly, responsibly sourced,” he says, with the insight gained as an economics graduate, who later ventured into fashion.
Jewellery may have been new territory for the designer, who has dabbled in collaborations with furriers and hosiery manufacturers in the past, but it may not be his last bejewelled encounter. “It (the experience) has definitely been very different, exciting and challenging, but in a positive way. It was great to understand the technical ideas behind each piece of jewellery and see its journey from sketch to final product,” he says.
The final product is one that he is proud to be launching in select store across India, starting April 18. “I’ve designed a collection that is very international and will appeal to a global client base. It comes from my brand’s DNA of uniting traditional craft with modern sensibility. As a result, each piece is very versatile and has a longevity to it. I always say that my clothes need to be timeless and should be enjoyed lifelong. In the same way, these pieces have a cross-generational appeal, so they can become heirloom pieces to be cherished and passed on,” he says.
Longevity is indeed key to Mohapatra’s design story, much like the eternal words of E.E. Cummings he sites at the head of the Artemis brochure: “Yours is the light by which my spirit’s born — you are my sun, my moon, and all my stars.”