From flowing chiffon sarees and statement off-shoulder blouses to the haunting grey saree worn in one of the film’s most intense scenes, Juhi Chawla’s looks in Darr remain some of the most memorable fashion moments in Bollywood history. More than 30 years after the film’s release, fashion designer Neeta Lulla has revealed the fascinating stories behind these iconic costumes, including one outfit that was created in just a few hours. (Also read: How Aishwarya Rai’s iconic lavender lehenga from Dil Ka Rishta became bridal trend, designer Neeta Lulla reveals details )
How Juhi Chawla’s Darr looks was created
Speaking about the making of Darr, Lulla recalled receiving an urgent call from director Yash Chopra during the final days of the shoot. “Yash Ji called me and said, ‘Can you come to Rajkamal Studios immediately?’ When I reached, he told me they needed an outfit in two and a half hours,” she said.
The designer immediately contacted her atelier and instructed her team to begin stitching a lycra churidar while she rushed back to complete the costume. “I draped the body with chiffon, completed it, hand-tacked it, and the master started making the Amrapali. We created it in about one hour and 45 minutes. We put it on Juhi and she was ready to roll,” Lulla recalled.
Despite the tight deadline, the outfit became one of the most remembered looks from the film. “Years later, people still remember that look, but I am most surprised at the pace at which we made it. Fashion isn’t always about time. It is about instinct, experience, craftsmanship and trusting your creative decisions,” she said.
Off-shoulder blouse that became a trend
Lulla also revealed how Juhi Chawla’s famous off-shoulder blouses in the film were born from a desire to present the actor in a fresh and contemporary way. “In 1993, when we worked on the movie, Yash Ji wanted Juhi to come out in a very different avatar, a simple but beautiful girl next door,” she said.
After spotting off-shoulder styles in a fashion magazine, Lulla suggested pairing them with Juhi’s character. “Knowing Juhi’s structure, I requested that I could use an off-shoulder top on her with a corset. This also came from my love for Edwardian silhouettes. Yash Ji immediately agreed and said, ‘Let’s try it on her.’”
The look later evolved into the colourful off-shoulder blouses paired with chiffon sarees in the film’s New Zealand sequences. “At that time, it felt bold, contemporary and youthful. What none of us anticipated was that this would become one of the defining fashion moments of that decade,” Lulla said.
According to the designer, many clients later requested “Juhi’s off-shoulder blouse with the saree,” turning the look into a trend long before celebrity fashion became commonplace.
Why a grey saree won over a white one
One of the film’s most memorable scenes features Juhi standing frightened against a wall covered with her name. For that sequence, Lulla and Yash Chopra disagreed over the colour of her saree. “Yash Ji wanted a plain white chiffon saree. Looking at the intensity of the scene, I instinctively said, ‘No, Yash Ji, let’s not use white. Let’s use grey,’” she recalled.
The filmmaker worried the darker colour would disappear in the low lighting, but Lulla believed that would enhance the scene’s emotional impact. “I said, ‘We don’t need to see her completely. We need to see her expressions.’”
To settle the debate, both colours were prepared. Once Juhi wore the grey saree, the decision became easy. “Juhi wore the grey first and instantly Yash Ji said, ‘This is it. This is absolutely right for the scene,’” Lulla revealed.
Nearly 90 gowns were created for the film
Lulla also shared the scale of costume planning behind Darr, especially for the songs shot in New Zealand. “There were many costumes made for the film, especially for all the songs for which Yash Ji and the team travelled to New Zealand, approximately 90 gowns,” she said.
More than three decades later, Juhi’s wardrobe in Darr continues to be remembered as one of Bollywood’s most influential style moments, proving that great costume design can become just as iconic as the film itself.
