Sridevi's iconic 'Lamhe' white dress needed four chiffon sarees to craft
Synopsis
Neeta Lulla's Instagram reveal pulls back the curtain on one of Bollywood's most beloved looks: Sridevi's white dress in 'Lamhe' required three to four chiffon sarees, a hidden diffusion layer, and scarves for a belt — all for a song filmed in Switzerland that Lulla herself had never seen on camera before the film released.
Key Takeaways
Neeta Lulla revealed on Instagram how she created Sridevi's white dress for 'Kabhi Main Kahan Hoon' from Lamhe (1991) .
Three to four white georgette chiffon sarees were used to build the volume of the dress.
A hidden chiffon underlayer was added to prevent the white lining from showing starkly through the fabric.
The belt was fashioned from scarves tied around Sridevi's waist; the top was off-shoulder.
The song was filmed in Switzerland , with aerial shots by Yash Chopra that Lulla called 'ethereal.' Lulla has won the National Film Award for Best Costume Design twice — in 2009 and 2012 .
Veteran costume designer Neeta Lulla has revealed the painstaking craftsmanship behind one of Sridevi's most celebrated on-screen looks — the ethereal white dress worn in the song 'Kabhi Main Kahan Hoon' from Yash Chopra's 1991 classic 'Lamhe'. Lulla, speaking in a video shared on Instagram, described it as one of the most difficult costumes she has ever created.
The Making of the Iconic White Dress
Lulla explained that she used three to four white georgette chiffon sarees to build the volume of the dress. The process, however, was far from straightforward. 'Did you know that the most difficult outfit to stitch is a simple white dress? I realized this while creating an outfit for the song Kabhi Main Kahan Hoon for Sridevi, for Lamhe,' she said.
The designer picked up a basic white lining fabric, only to discover an unexpected problem. 'What happened, to my surprise, was that the white from underneath was showing very starkly through the white on top. I couldn't figure out, for the life of me, how to structure this,' she recalled. The solution was to add a layer of chiffon underneath to diffuse the colour — a technique that ultimately gave the outfit its signature softness.
The Belt, the Top, and the Finishing Details
The belt visible in the song was not a conventional accessory. Lulla revealed that scarves were tied around Sridevi's waist to create the look. The ensemble also featured an off-shoulder top, which she noted Sridevi 'carried off brilliantly well.'
The dress was further worked on through shredding, cutting, and slitting — techniques that added movement and drama to the fabric without being apparent to the viewer.
Filmed in Switzerland, Seen from a Helicopter
Lulla shared that the song was filmed in Switzerland, and she had not been present to see how the outfit would translate on camera given its considerable volume. The result surprised even her. 'The way it looked surprised me, and the kind of shots that Yashji had taken from the helicopter were something ethereal. And I think that was the shot that everybody loved in the movie,' she said.
In her Instagram caption, Lulla elaborated: 'The hardest colour to make on screen? White. For the song Kabhi Main Kahoon from Lamhe, every detail of Sridevi's white costume was thoughtfully considered, from the choice of fabric and silhouette to the way it would catch the light and translate on camera. What appears effortless on screen is, in reality, the result of meticulous craftsmanship, and an unwavering eye for detail.'
About Neeta Lulla
Neeta Lulla has worked across more than 300 films, designing looks for some of Bollywood's biggest names including Juhi Chawla, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Shah Rukh Khan, and Hrithik Roshan. She is a two-time winner of the National Film Award for Best Costume Design — for 'Jodhaa Akbar' in 2009 and the Marathi film 'Balgandharva' in 2012. The 'Lamhe' anecdote is a reminder that behind cinema's most timeless images lie decisions that are anything but simple.
Point of View
Yet required layered problem-solving that most viewers never see. In an era where costume design is often overshadowed by star power, this kind of first-person account from a National Award-winning designer does important archival work. It also underscores how much of Indian cinema's visual grammar was built on improvisation under pressure — a reality that rarely makes it into mainstream film histories.
NationPress
27 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Neeta Lulla need three to four sarees for Sridevi's 'Lamhe' dress?
Neeta Lulla used three to four white georgette chiffon sarees to create the volume required for the dress worn in 'Kabhi Main Kahan Hoon.' A single layer of fabric was insufficient to achieve the flowing, full silhouette seen on screen.
What was the biggest challenge in making Sridevi's white dress for 'Lamhe'?
The primary challenge was that the white lining fabric showed starkly through the white chiffon on top. Lulla resolved this by adding an intermediate chiffon layer to diffuse the colour and soften the overall look.
Where was the 'Kabhi Main Kahan Hoon' song from 'Lamhe' filmed?
The song was filmed in Switzerland. Yash Chopra used helicopter shots that Neeta Lulla described as 'ethereal' — shots she had not anticipated when designing the costume.
What awards has Neeta Lulla won for costume design?
Neeta Lulla has won the National Film Award for Best Costume Design twice — in 2009 for 'Jodhaa Akbar' and in 2012 for the Marathi film 'Balgandharva.' She has worked on more than 300 films across her career.
What other details made up Sridevi's outfit in 'Lamhe'?
Beyond the multi-saree dress, the look included an off-shoulder top and a belt made from scarves tied around Sridevi's waist. The fabric was also shredded, cut, and slitted to add movement and drama.
