Shivrayancha Chhava
2024 Marathi Historical Drama | Movie
ROLE
Assistant Costume Designer
DURATION
3 Months | 2023
PRODUCTION
Malhar Picture Company
Everest Entertainment
director
PROJECT
100+ costumes, main to background cast
Full historical research & fabric sourcing
Outdoor multi-location shoot
End-to-end costume execution
Working on Shivrayancha Chhava meant stepping into the courts and battlefields of 17th century Maharashtra and making sure every costume felt like it belonged there. The film tells the story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the second ruler of the Maratha Empire, across a visual world that demanded two entirely distinct aesthetic languages: the Maratha court and the Mughal opposition.
As Assistant Costume Designer, I was responsible for the research, sourcing, construction, and on-set management of 100+ costumes spanning lead actors, chieftains, royalty, and background cast. Every piece was built from scratch, grounded in historical reference and made to hold up under the camera across extreme outdoor conditions in peak summer.
Beyond the craft, the role required coordinating a team on the ground, communicating directly with the director, and ensuring the costume department ran seamlessly across multiple locations throughout Maharashtra.
Challenge
Dressing the 17th century, one warrior at a time.
A three-month journey into the courts, battlefields, and history of the Maratha Empire, where every costume required rigorous historical research, and every stitch had to hold up on screen and under the relentless heat of an outdoor production.
History as the blueprint.
Shivrayancha Chhava tells the story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the second ruler of the Maratha Empire spanning royal courts, Mughal conflict, and the battlefield. Every costume had to be grounded in 17th century Maratha and Mughal visual history. Nothing could look approximate. The camera sees everything.
Research & construction
Before a single stitch, weeks of research.
Maratha warrior dress, royal court attire, Mughal opposition costumes, each required a distinct visual language rooted in historical reference. Fabrics were sourced with both accuracy and practicality in mind: the production shot entirely outdoors through peak summer across rugged locations, so materials had to look authentic and withstand extreme conditions. I coordinated the team across all stages from research and sourcing through to construction and final fitting while maintaining direct communication with the director to ensure every costume aligned with the vision on screen.
Fabric sourcing
Bespoke construction
Custom fitting
Workflow coordination
Director liaison
Costume scope
Two worlds. One production.
The film required a complete visual separation between the Maratha and Mughal courts, in silhouette, color, fabric, and ornamentation. Every character, from leads to background, had to feel like they belonged to their world.
Maratha royal court
Costumes for Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, Shivaji Maharaj, Jijabai, and Yesubai — each requiring regal silhouettes grounded in Maratha heritage, with fabrics and ornamentation befitting royalty on screen.
Maratha warriors & chieftains
Battle-ready looks for key figures including Sarsenapati Hambirrao, Bahirji Naik, Yesaji Kank, and others, where historical accuracy met the physical demands of action sequences shot outdoors.
Mughal opposition
Aurangzeb's court demanded a visually distinct aesthetic, Mughal dress codes, colour palettes, and hierarchical ornamentation that stood in clear contrast to the Maratha world.
Side & background cast
Across all 100+ costumes, every background actor was dressed with the same period-accurate intention because in a historical film, the world only feels real if every corner of the frame holds up.
Character development
Multi-character oversight
Color & silhouette direction
Production scheduling
Continuity management
Mumbai outskirts
Primary base
Wai
Historic ghats & temples
Bhor
Fortress terrain
Mahabaleshwar
Highland exteriors
key learnings
What this movie taught me
01
Historical accuracy isn't just research, it's a design constraint. Every creative choice had to be defensible against centuries of visual record.
02
Leading a team on a live film set means reading the room constantly, knowing when to delegate, when to step in, and when to communicate upward to the director immediately.
03
A world only reads as real on screen when every corner of the frame is dressed with intention from the lead actor to the last background character.
Shivrayancha Chhava taught me that costume design at its most demanding is equal parts scholarship, craft, and leadership. You have to know the history deeply enough to make creative decisions confidently and then execute those decisions in conditions that test everything you've prepared, with a team counting on you to hold it all together.
