A SINGULAR MAN

With his ability to tell stories through clothes, costume designer Arjun Bhasin brings some of the most memorable film characters to life

- Butool Jamal

It’s a slow, sunny Sunday in Mumbai when we meet costume designer Arjun Bhasin. Although he’s constantly busy, shuttling between Los Angeles, New York, and Mumbai, Jamshedpur-born Bhasin is generous with his time. Our portrait shoot is followed by a sandwich break at Kala Ghoda Café, after which we proceed to designer Rajesh Pratap Singh’s boutique by the sea in Colaba. We’re at the store, moving through racks of tailored blazers, bandhgalas, and wide-legged trousers because Bhasin wants to find something to wear for the Costume Designer’s Guild Awards that are held in Los Angeles in January. He was nominated for his work in the Tom Hanks-starrer A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. These are the ‘Oscars’ of costume design, held during awards season, and even though he didn’t win, a nomination was exciting. “My initial reaction was that it’s not possible,” says Bhasin.