Archive · 4 Aug 2026
Ramayana Designers Defend Costume Choices Amid Backlash
A new Ramayana movie made in India has costumes that people are talking about.
The designers, Rimple and Harpreet Narula, said they made the clothes to look like how they imagine the goddess Sita and the queen Kaikeyi, not to copy old clothes that no longer exist.
Rimple said she used her memory of Sita’s picture, and Harpreet said the colors of Kaikeyi’s dress show her feelings.
They want people to watch the movie first before judging the clothes.
They think their version is another way to tell the ancient story for today’s viewers.
Designers Rimple and Harpreet Narula defended their costume choices for the Ramayana film after backlash over Sita’s blouse and Kaikeyi’s dress.
Rimple explained that her design for Sita was based on her mental image of the goddess, not on archaeological accuracy, citing the lack of surviving garments from Treta Yuga.
Harpreet said Kaikeyi’s green and maroon colors symbolized motherhood and emotional conflict, and that each color had intentional meaning.
The designers acknowledged that the epic has many interpretations and that their version is another visual retelling aimed at a new generation.
They urged viewers to watch the film before forming opinions, emphasizing artistic intent over historical recreation.
- Who
- Costume designers Rimple and Harpreet Narula
- What
- Defended their creative choices for the Ramayana film
- When
- After the film’s release
- Where
- India
- Why
- To explain artistic intent and address backlash
- Film
- Ramayana
- Designers
- Rimple and Harpreet Narula
- Controversy
- Sita's blouse, Kaikeyi's costume
- Response
- Creative interpretation, symbolic colors
- Target audience
- New generation
Sources
'Attempt To Make Ancient Epic For New Generation': Ramayana Designers Rimple & Harpreet Narulah Defend Backlash Over Sita & Kaikeyi's Blouse
Ramayana Designers React To Trolling Over Sai Pallavi's Sita, Lara Dutta's Kaikeyi Looks