JJ makes his Page 3 debut

After years of staying away from Bollywood, designer JJ Valaya makes a special appearance in the film Page 3

It took fourteen years for celebrated couturier JJ Valaya, to take the plunge into Bollywood. That’s because he couldn’t relate to the “outlandish and outre” stuff that was going on in the name of fashion in films. Exception was Subhash Ghai’s Yaadein — where he lent costumes for a wedding sequence.


But, having noticed the changes in Indian cinema, JJ is now all set to make a cameo appearance as himself — designer JJ Valaya in a full fledged fashion show in debutant producer Bobby Pushkarna (son of Baldev Pushkarna, maker of films like Chacha Bhatija) and Madhur Bhandarkar’s Page 3. The film deals with the power play between the rich, famous, and the media, seen through eyes of a senior entertainment journalist, played by Konkona Sen.

The designer was brought into the realms of Mumbai’s Page 3 by Bobby’s enterprising lawyer wife Kavita Pushkarna, to lend the required authenticity, glamour and richness to the film. On Saturday night, JJ was in town to shoot for the film with a group of models, who sashayed onto the ramp in the designer’s creations.

And though JJ found the entire process of shooting the film a bore, he appreciates the end result. “It is a different experience for me. Designers wrap up in 35 minutes, but there are so many reshoots in films that it becomes a pain. But the end result is worth waiting for,” he smiles.

With new-age cinema broadening its periphery in terms of looks, content and technique, upper crust designers like JJ doesn’t mind the association. “The young breed of filmmakers understands fashion as a serious subject. Also the new brigade of actors and actresses have a good sense of personal style.”

Even though he’s made this foray, JJ’s clear that as long as the subject has style and substance, he is open to offers. “In fact, I don’t mind doing the whole look of a film.” And any plans of emulating designer friend Manish Malhotra, who is directing a film now? “You never know what tomorrow has in store,” he says.
   afsana.ahmed@timesgroup.com

Also starring , playing themselves

Kishen Mulchandani, party animal Suniel Shetty, actor Nisha Jhamwal, socialite