Haq stylist Ashley Rebello reveals the story behind Yami Gautam's handkerchief in the film: 'It was her security blanket'

Celebrity costume designer Ashley Rebello opens up about crafting the emotional and visual language of Haq through colour mdash especially for its leading ladies Yami Gautam and Vartika Singh and the greytoned world of Emraan HashmiFrom the start the director had absolute clarity ldquoHe was very specifichellip I wanted two different sets of colours mdash one palette is predivorce and one palette is postdivorcerdquo Ashley recalls But he also pushed back on the idea of sudden transformation ldquoJust because youre divorced you dont change your wardrobe suddenlyhellip You have that many clothes you donrsquot anticipate whatrsquos comingrdquoInstead he added a subtle emotional shift After the divorce Yamirsquos character moves back to her motherrsquos home prompting a natural change in her dressing ldquoShe starts wearing her mothers dupatta because she just doesnt want to wear those colours anymorerdquoCrafting Yamirsquos journey through fabric and shadeThe film Haq opens with Yamirsquos world full of life mdash vibrant colours handstitched fabrics and dyed dupattas ldquoItrsquos about colour itrsquos about fabricshellip you dye your dupatta you dye your fabricshellip you buy your husbandrsquos clothes your childrenrsquos clothesrdquo Ashley explains describing her characterrsquos nurturing handson natureTo ensure authenticity he meticulously built a lookbook of fabrics samples and silhouettes ldquoSukant loved ithellip We had different photographs with different looks mdash her marriage look premarriage postmarriage when shersquos pregnant her divorce and her final older lookrdquoAgeing Yami onscreen required a thoughtful palette shift ldquoTo show Yami older we gave her pastel softer shadesrdquo he says After the divorce however her life weighs her down ldquoShe gets dowdierhellip she doesnrsquot bother about what shersquos wearingrdquo Her wardrobe moves into ldquomore saturated colours mdash greens browns ruffs maroons Her accessories were intentionally minimal Ashley worked closely with her glam team ldquoI kept telling Alpa her hairstylist that I want little twists in her hair a pulledback lookhellip just a normal knot Yami would do it herself most of the timerdquoEven something as small as a handkerchief carried meaning ldquoOne journalist mentioned how nice it was to see Yami carrying a handkerchiefrdquo he quipped ldquoThat was deliberatehellip Itrsquos like her security blanket If shersquos crying she wipes her tears It gives her strengthrdquo He adds that such props deepen performance ldquoIt gives you something to dohellip it helps hone the character on screenrdquoThe Grey World of Emraan HashmiWhile Yami and Vartika embraced colours Emraan Hashmirsquos palette was intentionally muted ldquoWe kept him in tones of grey because thatrsquos his characterhellip unknowingly he just wears these colours until you see that side of himrdquoVartika Singh Bright bridal and rooted in cultureVartikarsquos wardrobe was crafted in stark contrast ldquoShe was like this new bride so we had to portray her in reds bright yellows mdash everything brightrdquo Ashley saysHaving worked with her as a model Ashley was excited ldquoI was so happyhellip shersquos a lovely girl But Sukant told me shersquos not a model in the movie mdash shersquos just a girl coming from Pakistanrdquo That meant grounding her look in regional authenticity ldquoI gave her the feel of the Gota Patti the borders the kinarashellip very typical to that side of the country and the cityrdquoEvery piece was customcreated ldquoWe didnrsquot buy offtherack fabrics We got everything dyed mdash even the pink sarees I wasnrsquot getting the shade she wanted so I dyed themrdquo Ashley kept a massive shade chart on hand ldquoIt had about 500 to 800 colourshellip getting the right shade for each look was a strugglerdquoDupattas played an important role in Yeh Yamirsquos transformation ldquoThey donrsquot pin them they wear them effortlesslyrdquo Ashley says referencing women like Beena Kak who inspired the look ldquoI told Yami to see how these girls carry their dupattas mdash itrsquos beautiful and effortlessrdquo It was as emotional as an aesthetic choice ldquoIt helps in the acting processhellip if the dupatta comes off or moves it adds to the momentrdquoThrough dyed fabrics evolving silhouettes and carefully chosen colours Ashley Rebello shaped Haqrsquos emotional arc in a way that feels intimate and real Every thread every shade carried meaning mdash quietly echoing the charactersrsquo inner worlds