Costumes For A Period Setup A Unique Experience

“OTT platforms and web series provide excellent opportunities for young talent and technicians. However, when it comes to work, I constantly stay updated with projects from industries like Hindi, French, and Korean.

Being busy doesn’t mean we can stop learning,” says costume designer Josyula Gayathri Devi. Recently, she worked on the detective web series Vikatakavi, which is currently streaming on the popular OTT platform ZEE5.

Directed by Pradeep Maddali and featuring Naresh Agastya and Megha Akash in lead roles, the series was produced by the esteemed banner SRT Entertainments, under the passionate producer Ram Talluri.

Speaking about this periodic detective web series, which started streaming on November 28, Gayathri shared her insights and experiences.

Before becoming a costume designer, I worked as a computer engineer. After resigning from my job, I decided to take a break.

During that time, I joined a fashion designing course at Hamstech and completed a diploma in a year. Soon after, I showcased my designs in a fashion show. Within a year, I was invited as a mentor as well.

Until 2019, my boutique business was running well, but I had to shut it down during the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, I am planning to relaunch my business on a much larger scale. My journey as a costume designer began with Palasa, where I only handled the designing aspect.

Later, I officially started my career in costume design with the Aha web series Kudi Yedamaithe. After that, I worked on another film, Para Hushar, but it was shelved due to various reasons.

I also contributed to Karuna Kumar’s film Kalapuram. My most significant project was the web series Sarvam Shaktimayam, directed by Pradeep Maddali.

This project gave me immense experience, as it was a fully outdoor shoot with a limited budget and manpower. It taught me how to handle such challenges efficiently.

Working on the series Sarvam Shaktimayam was a great learning experience that significantly helped me while working on Vikatakavi.

For the latter, I delved into the historical aspects of Hyderabad by visiting libraries and reading articles about how the city was during that era. I thought deeply about how to represent those elements visually in a way that fits the story while maintaining creative liberty.

To bring this vision to life, I prepared the team accordingly, ensuring we took proper precautions and refined our approach through detailed research.

Currently, I am working on a web series titled Marmayogi, directed by Satish Vegesna, which is being produced for Hotstar. The shoot has recently commenced. Additionally, I’m also working on a film titled Manasachora” she concluded by sharing these insights.