Last week, it came to light that The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences had invited 529 film industry personalities from around the world to join its membership in 2026. One of them is eminent costume designer Eka Lakhani. She was among the few Indians to receive this prestigious invite, along with acclaimed filmmaker Vishal Bhardwaj, veteran editors A Sreekar Prasad and Deepa Bhatia, and others. Interestingly, one of the films proudly mentioned alongside Eka’s name by the Academy was Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023). She styled Ranveer Singh’s flamboyant character Rocky, which was unanimously acclaimed. The costumes played a huge role in making Ranveer’s character look authentic. In an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Eka Lakhani spoke about styling Ranveer Singh in the Karan Johar directorial.

EXCLUSIVE: Eka Lakhani on styling Ranveer Singh in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani: “We showed masculinity like never before...He could wear 10 brands in one look and make it work”

EXCLUSIVE: Eka Lakhani on styling Ranveer Singh in Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani: “We showed masculinity like never before…He could wear 10 brands in one look and make it work”

Eka Lakhani said, “By far, if I had the most fun on a film, it’s been Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani. Usually, you take a realistic approach while building a character. But in this film, we could just think beyond the usual. There were no limits, as that’s how Rocky was. He didn’t have boundaries. He could wear 10 brands in one look or 10 colours in one look and yet make it work. Hence, we went all out with the styling and the brands. We even did international shopping. We showed masculinity in a way that hadn’t really been portrayed before.”

She added, “We had a blast with Rocky and it was unlike anything that I’ve done in my career throughout. Since then, my association with Ranveer started. Hence, it was a monumental chapter in my life.”

Ranveer Singh has very sweetly also commented on her post on the Academy honour. She also has a great relationship with Karan Johar and considers Mani Ratnam her mentor.

Eka Lakhani added, “The first person I spoke to after Ravi, my husband Ravi Bhagchandka, was Karan. I messaged him instantly. He said, ‘You’re going to be my fellow Academy voter’. Karan and Mani sir are people with whom I associate on a daily basis. It feels good that they are happy with my achievements. They are always so supportive and encouraging. They all play a huge part in it. It’s never done alone. There are so many people who are responsible for where you reach and how you grow. So, all of them taking a little bit of pride in it makes me really happy (smiles).”