Costume Analysis: Made In Heaven S2 - Part 3

From the star couple's maximalist outfits to Kabir's all-black ensembles, episode 4 is all about decoding MIH style at the French riviera.

(Warning: Spoilers Ahead!)

Catch up on the costume analysis of episode 1 and episodes 2 & 3.

For their Big Bollywood wedding, the Made In Heaven team reached France.

From the get go, we see Karan and Tara in matching navy blue outfits, again signaling to their bond, but who I find interesting here is Jazz. She is wearing a one-shoulder outfit with a topknot. But the lack of finishing and ill-fitted nature of the outfit shows that unlike her fellow team members, her clothing isn’t custom-made. It was most likely bought with the intention of wearing it to best place possible and repeating it multiple times for as long as possible.

When Adil’s mom has him and Faiza over for a meal, she is wearing a light pink kurta, almost like forcing herself to accept this situation and present a happy front. While Adil is in a dark gray - neutral - t-shirt, Faiza’s monochromatic t-shirt points to her mixed state of mind. She isn’t sure about Adil divorcing Tara, is worried about being accepted by both of their parents and nervous about possibly becoming a single mother.

Leila and Sarfaraz, the bride and groom of this episode, had an interesting style equation. Since they were Bollywood stars, there was a sense of performance to even the outfits they wore for their private moments. Either the colors are strong, or the prints are big or there’s a ton of bling to the outfit. Everything is toned up a notch. Performance and being aware of always having an audience, has become a part of their life, which in turn, has become a part of their personality. For them, there’s no such thing as going down a notch. Maximal style is their normal.

Technically, both of them look great, but to me, Leila just looks more victorious. Especially, since this scene takes place right after their fight and her re-negotiation into becoming a producer for his film. Considering all the blingy outfits Sarfaraz wore throughout the episode (they were blingier than Leila’s), this toned down version while does look good, it did let Leila stand out and look like a winner. Which, I’m sure, none of us really mind.

Some Character Observations

Just like her personality, needy aunty, Gibbs’ style too had a sense of neediness of it. It’s big and attention-seeking in it’s presentation, but importantly, it is pretentious in it’s loud embroidery and colors. Her clothes lack finishing which indicate to the fact that despite being “Sarafaraz’s first cousin”, she’s probably not as well-off as him.

Why do you think Kabir wears an all-black ensemble? It is a questions I’ve asked a couple of friends and have received a variety of answers. One said that black absorbs all colors and since he’s technically an observer - a documentarian - his eyes are quietly taking in all the information. Another said that the Delhi documentary-type guys can often be found in such an ensemble. One found his outfit a bit pretentious, another felt it was just him being him. Kabir’s black ensemble leaves him as a clean slate. With this character, it’s all about projecting your own feelings for this type of a person.

While, florals play a big role in Meher’s wardrobe, here Meher and Jazz’s slowly strengthening friendship is shown in soft romantic floral prints. They are building their trust in each other and finding enjoyment in each other’s company.

Meher’s new bond with another teammate, Karan, is again shown through blue-green color as she “bails” him out of a tough situation.

After Karan takes out 18 lakhs from the MIH account, Tara and Karan are once again shown in the exact same color story, but this time, they are at odds. The stark yellow chairs almost stand like a warning sign between them.

The beauty about Tara’s character is that until now, a woman like her has always been portrayed as a vamp. I’m looking at this still and thinking about how in some other movie, Leila or Jazz would have been the main protagonist and someone like Tara, who is extremely practical, and honest about the role of money plays in her life, would have been the antagonist. In mainstream media, until now, these traits have always been shown in a negative light and while this show doesn’t endorse her behaviour, they do add a certain level of coolness to her actions. The way she moves and carries herself - a lot of the credit goes to Sobhita Dhulipala for that - makes her come across as aspirational. Even here, from the arched eyebrows and dark manicure to the big hoop earrings and a bodycon top, she looks like a femme fatale. And just like a femme fatale, she looks bloody cool.

Image Credit: Amazon Prime