Actor Yash's transfiguration as demon king Ravana in the mythological epic, Ramayan: Part 1, came with a considerable physical challenges with some of his elaborate costumes weighing up to 33 kilos. Costume designer Saniya Sardhariya recently revealed details about the meticulous process of creating the character's powerful appearance, including his jewellery, heavy armour and crown.
In a conversation with India Today, the stylist revealed that most of Yash's costumes weighed around 16 to 20 kg. However, certain grand outfits, particularly those associated with Lanka, weighed approximately 33 kg.
"Most of the costumes used to weigh around 16 to 20 kg, including the jewellery. But we had a few heavy pieces, like the Ravana look associated with Lanka, his wedding costume, and the costume he wore for Surpanakha's wedding. Those were close to 30–33 kg, if I remember correctly," the designer said.
Talking about the heaviness of the crown, Saniya added, "I think the most difficult part was wearing the crown because any amount of weight on your head feels very restrictive and heavy. So, we experimented a lot with the idea. We had so many mock 3D crowns made, and we ensured that we got the design right first. Then we started reverse-engineering it to see how we could make it lighter and lighter. But I don't think we could go any lighter than 1.8 kg. That was the best we could do, and even that felt like a lot."
Despite the demanding process, Saniya recalled that Yash maintained a cheerful atmosphere on set. "You don't see that in his expressions or anything like that, but it was quite a task,” the stylist mentioned.
The costume designer also spoke about the inclusion of prosthetics in certain looks, adding to the complexity of the costume. Having worked with Yash for 11 years, Saniya described Nitesh Tiwari's Ramayana: Part 1 as their first mythological collaboration. The film released in theatres on November 5 and is already a massive box office hit. The second part of the film is officially scheduled to release during Diwali 2028.