Deepika Padukone say yes to Bikini

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GURGAON - Ace designer Neeta Lulla has been lending her creative touch to Aishwarya Rai’s wardrobe for more than a decade. Having dressed the actress in varied costumes in movies like “Taal”, “Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam” and “Jodhaa Akbar”, the designer feels the sari suits the former beauty queen best.

“No doubt Aishwarya looks beautiful in Indian outfits, but, personally, I feel that she looks her best in a sari. She can carry a simple cotton to a designer sari with equal poise and elegance,” Lulla told IANS in an interview.

Lulla has been named for a National Award for best costume designer in “Jodhaa Akbar” - her third National Award. She previously won the award in 1992 for “Lamhe” and in 2003 for “Devdas”.

The Mumbai-based designer was here to give a sneak preview of yet-to-be opened entertainment destination, Kingdom of Dreams, which will play host to Bollywood musicals. Lulla will be designing the costumes for the stars performing there.

Lulla said she was more than happy to be a part of the project as it will give her a huge opportunity to explore her creative side.

“In Bollywood, you do sometimes face limitations. With this magnum opus concept, I can see myself putting my creativity at its best and exploring various new facets,” she said.

Her association with Kingdom of Dreams would require Lulla to spend more time here than her home in Mumbai, but the designer seems unperturbed and welcomes the change.

“This city is huge and sprawling…I like it for many reasons. So I don’t mind spending some time here. It’s just that I would be juggling between the two cities. But the concept behind this project is so intriguing that I couldn’t have said no,” said the soft-spoken Lulla.

Lulla has been a part of the industry for over two decades and has designed for over 350 movies.

Expressing happiness over winning her third National Award, Lulla said these honours not only make her feel special but also inspire her to perform better.

“It’s always nice to receive appreciation for your work. I do feel special but at the same time each project that I take on gives me an opportunity to work and explore my creativity and this in the end helps in delivering a good product,” she said.

Lulla’s upcoming Bollywood project is Ashutosh Gowariker’s “Khelein Hum Jee Jaan Sey” that has Abhishek Bachchan and Deepika Padukone in the lead roles. But she refused to divulge any details about the movie saying, “It’s too early to talk about it.”