Behind the looks of ‘Patriot’: Dhanya Balakrishnan on designing Mahesh Narayanan’s characters | Interview

State award-winning costume designer Dhanya Balakrishnan still remembers the unexpected phone call she received from actor Darshana Rajendran after the release of ‘Patriot’. The actor had reached out personally to express her appreciation for the way her character was styled in the film.

“Darshana was so happy that we decided to keep her hair short for the movie,” recalls Dhanya. “It was a decision we arrived at after a lot of discussions. She loved the final look and even called me to say so. Very few actors take the time to personally contact technicians and share their appreciation, and Darshana was one of them.”

In ‘Patriot’, directed by Mahesh Narayanan, Darshana plays Jyothi Kurian, the love interest of Kunchacko Boban’s character. According to Dhanya, such gestures from actors are memorable because costume designers often work behind the scenes, with their contributions rarely acknowledged directly. She points out that veteran actor Mohanlal is another performer who never forgets to appreciate the efforts of technicians.

“He may not always tell us directly, but he conveys his happiness through his assistants, who in turn share it with us. That kind of acknowledgement means a lot,” she says. With ‘Patriot’, one of Malayalam cinema’s most ambitious productions, now gearing up for its OTT premiere on Zee5 on June 5, Dhanya looks back on the experience of working on a film that brought together some of the biggest names in the industry.

Creative partnership with Mahesh Narayanan

Dhanya has collaborated with director Mahesh Narayanan since his debut feature ‘Take Off’, and credits the filmmaker’s collaborative approach for making the creative process rewarding. “There is a lot of mutual respect and space in our working relationship,” she says. “Mahesh is someone who openly appreciates his team, but more importantly, he listens. If I have a reason for styling a character in a particular way, he is willing to hear me out. He is open to logic, discussion and even criticism. We don't have many directors who are willing to engage in such conversations.”
At the same time, she notes that working with Mahesh requires flexibility. “The one thing you have to be prepared for is that he improvises a lot. His ideas constantly evolve during the filmmaking process. However, his approach always remains rooted in realism. He prefers characters to look authentic rather than stylised,” she says. One such example was the character of Dr Ayesha Iqbal, played by Zarin Shihab in the movie. “During the look test, we realised that the character needed to appear older and was also being referred to as a Pakistani woman. Initially, we had not planned for her to wear a hijab, but during discussions we felt that a head covering would add authenticity and help shape the character’s identity. That decision emerged organically during the process.”

‘We planned a tighter shoe for Mohanlal’

Dhanya says costume design often extends beyond clothing and includes physical details that help actors inhabit their characters. She recalls how the team initially considered giving Mohanlal a tighter shoe to create a distinctive gait for his character, who is portrayed as an amputee in the film. “We had discussed using certain physical aids, like a tighter shoe, to influence the way he walked since his character Colonel Rahim Naik is an amputee. But Mohanlal sir didn't need any of that. He understood the character completely and was able to create the required body language on his own.”

Styling Mammootty’s character

One of the most detailed aspects of ‘Patriot’ was designing the visual journey of Mammootty’s character, whose appearance evolves significantly throughout the narrative. “In the first phase, Dr Daniel James is someone who has largely given up on himself. He is an alcoholic and doesn't pay much attention to what he wears. His costumes reflect that state of mind,” says Dhanya.

The second phase sees a transformation after the character arrives in the United Kingdom and comes under the influence of Dr Ayesha Iqbal. “His dressing becomes more refined and nuanced. There is a noticeable shift in how he presents himself,”she says. The final stage takes place aboard a fishing boat, where the character adopts an entirely different look. “At that point, he is wearing clothes handed to him by Mohanlal’s character. Those costumes carry their own identity and symbolism within the narrative.”

Despite working with two of Malayalam cinema’s biggest stars, Dhanya says the creative brief was simple. “The only instruction I received was that Mammootty and Mohanlal should look completely like their characters, not Mammootty and Mohanlal. The audience had to see the people they were portraying rather than the stars themselves.”

From Mollywood to Bollywood

Dhanya recently made her Bollywood debut with Priyadarshan’s ‘Bhooth Bangla’, adding another major milestone to her career. The experience exposed her to a vastly different production culture. “In Malayalam cinema, I’m used to handling costumes for almost the entire cast. That gives me a sense of ownership and helps maintain a visual consistency across the film,” she says. “Bollywood works very differently. There can be multiple costume designers on a single project, each responsible for specific actors or character arcs.”

In ‘Bhooth Bangla’, Dhanya was tasked with styling Wamiqa Gabbi and another actor who played Akshay Kumar’s sister.“There were several costume designers working simultaneously, each with their own process and pace. When everything finally comes together, it creates a different kind of collaborative ecosystem. I’m still not sure which approach is better,” she says.

‘Jhanvi Kapoor surprised me’

Dhanya also shared her experience working on the Telugu blockbuster ‘Devara’, which exposed her to a filmmaking culture that often prioritises visual spectacle. "I remember questioning why so many costume changes were necessary," she recalls with a laugh. "Coming from a realistic filmmaking background, I naturally look for logic and character motivation behind every costume decision. Though I joined the project because the filmmakers appreciated the realistic texture I bring to characters, in the end, I had to align with their vision and understand the visual language of Telugu commercial cinema."

She adds that while she never hesitates to suggest ways a character could look better, she usually respects the preferences of the director or celebrities. Dhanya was particularly impressed by Jhanvi Kapoor’s grounded approach. "Most celebrities are very conscious of their public image, but Jhanvi was perfectly fine with me ensuring her character looked realistic. The way she hosted us at her house during the look test for her character was also remarkable," she remembers.