Indian Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee talks about working with Sridevi in English Vinglish (2012)

Too Stunning: Sridevi sports a Sabyasachi Mukherjee ensemble

Man of the moment, Indian designer Sabyasachi Mukkherjee shares this thoughts on working with Sridevi for her post-hiatus film.

ENGLISH VINGLISH (2012)

"Me and my sister are hardcore Sridevi fans! Good films… bad films… unwatchable films… we've seen them all! From Sadma to Army!

So when Gauri Shinde made me an offer to work on English Vinglish, I jumped!

No remuneration… no dates to be discussed… for Sri, it's all free! And the fact that it was such a fantastic script was a double whammy!

So one can only imagine the shock on my face when she tells me, 'Sabya, I'm a huge fan!' Who? Me?!?

I never told her that I had once met her in an elevator at the beginning of my career and I was looking at my shoes the whole time! I was too nervous to even say hello!

The first look test for English Vinglish was at Mehboob Studio. Sridevi came out in a 800 rupee cotton saree looking like a diva!

Me and the director had some anxious moments…

'Sabyaaa! Do something, she looks too stunning!'

'Huh? Is that a problem, Gauri?'

'But Sabyaaa she's an ordinary housewife…'

And then the diva took centre-stage after a hiatus of… long years!

A hush fell across the set as the whole unit watched in silent wonderment how the butterfly morphed into the moth with such terrifying ease! Fragile, insecure, unsure and every bit the common housewife me and you recognize so much in our own mothers.

Suddenly I realized and it was clear to me and why I was such a big fan! Sridevi doesn't require any costume, make-up, trial or Sabyasachi. Her best costume is her craft. 

I was at peace when English Vinglish didn't earn any nomination in the costume category!"