Bollywood Costume Designer Begged and Borrowed to Craft Authentic Looks on Tight Budgets

Veteran Bollywood costume designer Ashley Rebello, known for styling some of the industry's biggest stars across over 100 films, has recently shared insights into the challenges of working with tight budgets in filmmaking. In an exclusive conversation, Rebello recalled one of his most challenging projects - designing costumes for the 2001 film Chandni Bar, which was given a mere ₹50,000 budget.

Reflecting on that experience, Rebello explained, "It was a huge challenge. Don't even ask me how I did it. When I look back, I'm like, Ashley, how did you do it? Begged, borrowed, stole -- that's what you do. Begging was more, borrowing was less. Stealing, of course, no -- but going to people's houses, asking for their old clothes, making things look authentic, even getting things hand-painted from friends for free... that was a big challenge."

Despite the limited resources, Rebello's creative adaptability and resourcefulness allowed him to craft authentic, period-appropriate costumes for the film. His decades-long career in the industry has seen him navigate the challenges of working with both grand, high-budget productions as well as tighter financial constraints to bring realism to the screen.