Kabali to Kanchipuram: Anu Vardhan on cinema, saris and slow fashion

Anu Vardhan has always worked in layers—of memory, of texture, of emotion. Nearly two decades ago, while working as an assistant director with filmmaker Santosh Sivan, she discovered what would become her true calling—costume design. With a background in visual communication and an instinctive understanding of colour, character, and form, Anu went on to shape some of Indian cinema’s most memorable visual identities—from Rajinikanth’s iconic look in Kabali to Ajith Kumar’s stylised avatars in Billa and Vedalam.

How a cinematic eye shapes sari design

Yet, even as cinema remained central to her creative life, another idea had been quietly taking shape—Neela, her handloom sari label. It was born not as a business plan but as an extension of memory. Named after her grandmother Neelaambal, it draws deeply from Anu’s joint-family upbringing. “Neela was born from memory,” she says simply. “From my grandmother, from the warmth of a joint-family life, and from a deep respect for the dignity of handloom artisans.”

The brand existed for two years as an online presence. But as people began asking to see and feel the saris, to understand the textures and stories behind them, Anu felt the need for something more tactile, more personal. That impulse led to The Fold, her intimate, appointment-led space—one that deliberately resists the conventions of retail.

“I didn’t want a showroom or a store,” she explains. “I wanted a place where people could come, sit down, and spend time. Where we could talk. You can walk in, of course, but appointments ensure that the right people are present to guide you.”

The Fold doesn’t announce itself loudly. Saris are hidden inside cupboards, brought out only when someone arrives with the intention to engage. “I’m not comfortable with aggressive retail,” Anu admits. “I like one client at a time. I like conversations.”

That unhurried approach mirrors how Neela itself is created. One line is designed entirely by Anu, while others are co-created with small weaving clusters in Kumarapalayam, Venkatagiri, and Kanchipuram. Her relationship with weavers is not transactional—it’s long-standing and deeply personal, shaped by years of collaboration during her earlier work with textile initiatives. After the pandemic, when many such efforts slowed down, it was the weavers themselves who reached out to her. “They were asking if there was a way to keep their craft alive,” she recalls. “That stayed with me.”

Neela, then, is as much about continuity as it is about design. Anu is clear that sustainability cannot be occasional. “I didn’t want to buy once and disappear,” she says. “If you want this to last, you have to be consistent.” Before attempting to build a larger weaver-led ecosystem, she chose to understand retail first—how people buy, why they buy, and what it takes to keep a practice alive over time.

The saris themselves reflect her cinematic eye. Lightweight silks, kora silk, breathable blends—designed for women who love silk but hesitate because of its weight. “We focus a lot on lightweight silk. Many young women hesitate to wear silk because it feels heavy. So we worked with pure silk, silk by kora, cotton, linen and blends that are breathable. The saris are elegant but wearable. They may look understated, but when worn, their potential really shows—that’s something I’m very particular about.”

It’s an approach shaped by years of designing for the screen, where even restraint has to hold attention over hours. That discipline carries through everything she does. “In cinema or in real life, I’m still creating characters,” she says. “Helping people express who they are.”

Her grandmother’s presence is felt not just in name, but in ethos. “Everything I do is influenced by her. She was from Pudukottai, Chettinad belt, and the aesthetics of that region—checks, textures, richness—have stayed with me,” says Anu. The sense of belonging that comes from living in community—all of it feeds into Neela. That same spirit extends into The Fold, which Anu envisions as a shared cultural space. Musicians, artists, historians, performers—anyone whose work resonates with her is welcome here. “When someone else is performing, nothing should overshadow them,” she says. “Not even the saris.”

In an age obsessed with speed, Anu is unapologetic about slowness. Handloom takes time—five to six weeks for a single sari, sometimes more. “It’s not slow,” she insists. “It’s careful.” With that care comes responsibility. If work isn’t consistent, weavers leave the craft. If clients aren’t willing to wait, the system collapses. “We’ve been lucky,” she says. “Many of our clients understand this. They wait.”

Her design choices reflect thoughtfulness rather than trend. Borderless saris, she explains, photograph beautifully and subtly elongate the silhouette. Natural dyes and pastels appeal to her, even if brighter colours move faster. “I’ve learned a lot through this process,” she admits. “Initially, I chose only what I would wear. Now I think about how others feel in it.”

When it comes to styling, Anu resists rules. “There are none,” she says firmly. “It depends on the person. White for the evening, black for the day—it’s all about confidence and how you carry yourself. Confidence matters more than convention.”

Asked what she’ll never stop loving, she smiles and says, “My whites.” What keeps her grounded? Prayer and meditation. Morning or night? “Early morning. Very early.” And what is she most grateful for right now? She pauses, then answers simply: “That I’m finally doing what I wanted to do for so long.”

In Neela and The Fold, Anu Vardhan hasn’t stepped away from cinema—she has merely extended its sensibility into another form. “I don’t want to make anyone look like someone else. I want them to look more like themselves. That joy—when someone sees themselves differently and feels confident—that’s the same joy I get in cinema. For me, it’s always about the end result—how the sari looks when worn, especially in photographs. That comes from my background in cinema. Everything today is photographed, and I think about how a piece comes alive when worn, even if it looks simple on the hanger,” she adds.

—manuvipin@newindianexpress.com

@ManuVipin

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