Sabyasachi Mukherjee insists he is not driven by the market. He tells Karan Bhardwaj that he is searching for projects that could inspire him
Some designers are known for their Bollywood bonhomie. Sabyasachi Mukherjee is undoubtedly one of them. You might have regularly seen him posing with the likes of his favourite divas such as Sridevi, Rani Mukerji, Vidya Balan or Aishwarya Rai Bachchan but that filmy camaraderie doesn’t seem to be the guiding light at work. That could be the possible reason why he is not doing any movie at the moment when his colleagues are churning out back to back Bollywood blockbusters. Ask him and he says he cannot do films for the heck of doing them. He is looking for something that could inspire him and not just label him as a fashion designer. “I am looking for different films like Pa that allows me to be the costume designer and not just a fashion guy. I don’t want to dress actors as a designer anymore. I want to do projects where I can challenge myself. Otherwise, it should be Indian so that I can put my textiles on screen. Basically, the film should inspire me,” he said.
Clad in a blue shirt and dark beige trousers, he was quite in candid mood as we met him at the sidelines of the launch of Coca-Cola Zero. He spoke formally and informally on variety of matters from his own company to not doing uninspiring Bollywood movies. In a relaxed tone, he informed us how he is setting the things right in his business and not taking up too much of new work. He shared he is consolidating his business and reaching out to his discerning clients.
“I had been busy for sometime. I recently opened a massive store in Mumbai and had a couture show in Delhi. Plus I also did my annual TV show. So now I am going slow and steady. In fact, this year is like a consolidation period. My company has grown by 60 per cent in last two years and I am now fine tuning things. I am investigating into my own setup and looking at the modus operandi. I want to set certain things right but they are all in-house changes,” he said.
Having worked for movies like Guzaarish, Babul, laaga Chunari Mein Daag, Raavan and English Vinglish, he is away from the tinsel town and waiting for the right project. “I am not in hurry,” he said. At a time when designers and even fashion weeks are succumbing to the pressure of sponsors and markets, Mukherjee is writing his own rules.
He said he was never driven by the markets and has followed his own mantra during the shows. There’s no business cycle for him.“I don’t believe in collections based on spring or fall-winter. Steve Job once said that it is important not to be bogged down by the markets. One should always decide what one has to offer to the market,” he said.
However, he believed that it is possible to crack a workable deal with the market players who do not insist on compromising the basics of work.
“I am a nationalist as well as a socialist. I think that all kinds of things should be made available to different groups of people so that there is more choice in the market,” he said.