Dolly Ahluwalia: Gujarat’s handicrafts have inspired my work

Dolly Ahluwalia has won the National Award thrice: twice for the best costume design (Bandit Queen and Haider) and once as the best supporting actress for Vicky Donor.
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It’s not difficult to see why, as her dedication to her craft is unquestionable. The actress was unwell before coming to Vadodara and had been advised bed rest, but still made the trip to perform in the play Jug Jug Jiyo. She tells us, “Once I make a commitment, I don’t like going back on my words and when it is for theatre, my resolve becomes even stronger. I’ve always enjoyed doing theatre and here, I get to play the role of a very positive Punjabi woman.” However, she adds, “I think it is costume designing that defines me as an artist. I love it because while designing costumes, I get to live the characters for which I am designing.” Excerpts:
DESTINATION GUJARAT
I came toVadodara long back and my last trip was during our National School of Drama (NSD) days. However, I have been to Ahmedabad quite a few times and I am one of the biggest fans of Gujarati food. Besides, I’ve always been fond of Gujarati handicrafts, which inspire me. Coming to Ahmedabad always feels nice because it is a really important city in the history of India.
BOLLYWOOD TAKES
For me, the length of a role has never mattered because a well sketched out character can create a lasting impression. I enjoyed playing the role of a very different kind of mom in Vicky Donor. Some other memorable films that instantly come to mind include Yahaan, Bajatey Raho and Luv Shuv Tey Chicken Khurana. However, the industry has very few roles written for women of my age group. It’s great when you make films on personalities like Mary Kom because they really deserve that recognition. But why aren’t we making movies that create great women characters? Where are movies like Rudaaliand Godmothertoday? There’s too much of “hero”-worship in the industry today and most of the films focus just on the leading men, which is sad.
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