Costume designer Neeta Lulla has revealed the creative thinking behind one of Bollywood's most memorable fashion moments — the outfit worn by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan in the song 'Saajan Saajan' from the 2003 film 'Dil Ka Rishta'. In a video shared on Instagram, Lulla described the ensemble as a deliberate fusion of sensuality, glamour, and Indian craftsmanship, noting that the look continues to feel strikingly relevant more than two decades on.

The Design Vision Behind the Outfit

Lulla explained that the costume was conceived specifically for the song and built around a contemporary silhouette that was, at the time, a bold departure from conventional Bollywood styling. 'The intention was to create something sensual and glamorous,' she said in the video.

The ensemble featured a corset-style blouse, a slim leopard-print skirt with trousers underneath — complete with a slit — and intricate zardozi work in a red and black colour palette. Lulla noted that the 90s leopard-print trend was something she was working with extensively at the time, often pairing it with zardozi embroidery or turquoise tones. 'This was the first time it was translated onto screen by Aishwarya Rai,' she said.

Indian Craft at the Core

Despite its Western-influenced corsetry, Lulla emphasised that the outfit was deliberately rooted in Indian craft traditions. 'This outfit had to be rooted in Indian craft,' she said. The proportions and construction were intentionally altered to introduce a fresh silhouette — what she describes as a precursor to what is now commonly called a fusion lehenga or a contemporary Indian silhouette.

The jewellery, too, was integrated as an extension of the garment itself. A neckpiece held the corset in place, while a belt adorned with trinkets and stonework replaced a conventional waistband on the skirt. 'It moved with Aishwarya and gave it the movement, the style and the statement that I was looking at,' Lulla noted.

Built to Perform

Lulla stressed that the look was designed not just to appear striking in a still image but to function dynamically on screen. 'It had to move, it had to work while dancing, turning and performing — and that is what made the look interesting for me and even today,' she said. That focus on wearability in motion, she argues, is what made the outfit a genuine cinematic fashion statement rather than merely a visual one.

Why the Look Still Resonates

'What interests me is how relevant the language still feels,' Lulla reflected, pointing to the current resurgence of corsetry, bustiers, and draping in contemporary fashion. The 'Saajan Saajan' outfit, she argues, anticipated many of these trends by over two decades, drawing on cyclical design vocabulary that has since returned to mainstream fashion.

'Dil Ka Rishta', directed by Naresh Malhotra, starred Aishwarya Rai Bachchan alongside Arjun Rampal, Raakhee, Priyanshu Chatterjee, Isha Koppikar, Paresh Rawal, and Tiku Talsania. The film, released in 2003, follows a multimillionaire secretly in love with a woman whose husband he kills unintentionally. As Bollywood fashion history gets revisited on social media, Lulla's candid breakdown of the design process offers a rare glimpse into the craft that shaped some of Hindi cinema's most iconic looks.