Juhi Chawla S Iconic Darr Looks Were Created In Just 2 Hours Designer Neeta Lulla Shares Behind The Scenes Stories

“Yash Ji called me and said, ‘Can you come to Rajkamal Studios immediately?’ When I reached, he told me they needed an outfit in two and a half hours,” she said.

The designer immediately contacted her atelier and instructed her team to begin stitching a lycra churidar while she rushed back to complete the costume. “I draped the body with chiffon, completed it, hand-tacked it, and the master started making the Amrapali. We created it in about one hour and 45 minutes. We put it on Juhi and she was ready to roll,” Lulla recalled.

Despite the tight deadline, the outfit became one of the most remembered looks from the film. “Years later, people still remember that look, but I am most surprised at the pace at which we made it. Fashion isn’t always about time. It is about instinct, experience, craftsmanship and trusting your creative decisions,” she said.

Lulla also revealed how Juhi Chawla’s famous off-shoulder blouses in the film were born from a desire to present the actor in a fresh and contemporary way. “In 1993, when we worked on the movie, Yash Ji wanted Juhi to come out in a very different avatar, a simple but beautiful girl next door,” she said.

After spotting off-shoulder styles in a fashion magazine, Lulla suggested pairing them with Juhi’s character. “Knowing Juhi’s structure, I requested that I could use an off-shoulder top on her with a corset. This also came from my love for Edwardian silhouettes. Yash Ji immediately agreed and said, ‘Let’s try it on her.’”

The look later evolved into the colourful off-shoulder blouses paired with chiffon sarees in the film’s New Zealand sequences. “At that time, it felt bold, contemporary and youthful. What none of us anticipated was that this would become one of the defining fashion moments of that decade,” Lulla said.

According to the designer, many clients later requested “Juhi’s off-shoulder blouse with the saree,” turning the look into a trend long before celebrity fashion became commonplace.

One of the film’s most memorable scenes features Juhi standing frightened against a wall covered with her name. For that sequence, Lulla and Yash Chopra disagreed over the colour of her saree. “Yash Ji wanted a plain white chiffon saree. Looking at the intensity of the scene, I instinctively said, ‘No, Yash Ji, let’s not use white. Let’s use grey,’” she recalled.

The filmmaker worried the darker colour would disappear in the low lighting, but Lulla believed that would enhance the scene’s emotional impact. “I said, ‘We don’t need to see her completely. We need to see her expressions.’”

To settle the debate, both colours were prepared. Once Juhi wore the grey saree, the decision became easy. “Juhi wore the grey first and instantly Yash Ji said, ‘This is it. This is absolutely right for the scene,’” Lulla revealed.

Lulla also shared the scale of costume planning behind Darr, especially for the songs shot in New Zealand. “There were many costumes made for the film, especially for all the songs for which Yash Ji and the team travelled to New Zealand, approximately 90 gowns,” she said.

More than three decades later, Juhi’s wardrobe in Darr continues to be remembered as one of Bollywood’s most influential style moments, proving that great costume design can become just as iconic as the film itself.

Akanksha Agnihotri is a lifestyle journalist with over 3 years of experience. She is a psychology graduate and holds a postgraduate diploma in Radio and Television Journalism from the Indian Institute of Mass Communication, Delhi, where she graduated as a gold medalist. Originally from Bhopal, the beautiful capital of Madhya Pradesh, she draws inspiration from the city’s rich cultural heritage and layered storytelling traditions that subtly shape her narrative voice. She writes extensively about fashion, beauty, health, relationships, culture, and food, exploring everything from trending styles and runway moments to wellness routines and mindful living. Passionate about meaningful and candid conversations, she enjoys interviewing celebrities, doctors, designers, and film personalities, diving into discussions on fitness, beauty, mental health, and everything fun in between. With a keen eye for trends and a thoughtful understanding of human behaviour, she brings depth, sensitivity, and authenticity to her stories, ensuring they resonate with a wide and diverse audience. When she’s not working, you’ll usually find her lost in a book, planning her next mountain trek, or mapping out spontaneous travel escapes. She loves discovering new authors, revisiting old favourites, and spending quiet afternoons in museums soaking in art, history, and culture. An avid bird-watching enthusiast, she finds joy in early morning walks, spotting rare birds, and reconnecting with nature. Whether sipping coffee while journaling her thoughts or exploring hidden corners of a new city, she constantly seeks inspiration in everyday moments that often turn into compelling story ideas.Read More