Why 'Zubeidaa' Is A Cultural Icon, 25 Years On: The OG Costume Designer Reveals

Twenty-five years later, it is deeply moving to see that Zubeidaa continues to be remembered and spoken about with such warmth. That the film still resonates is perhaps the greatest affirmation of the care taken by everyone involved—both in front of the camera and behind it.

Zubeidaa costume design

We were deeply focused on telling a story written by Khalid Mohamed on his mother Zubeida Begum, and directed by the Shyam Benegal, approaching it with honesty, sensitivity, and care. Every decision was guided by the world the film inhabited and the people who lived within it.

Zubeidaa features a distinguished ensemble cast including Karisma Kapoor, Rekha, Manoj Bajpayee, Amrish Puri, Surekha Sikri, Lillete Dubey, Rajit Kapur, Seema Pahwa, Ravi Jhankal, Shakti Kapoor, Harish Patel, Rahul Singh, and others. The film’s evocative music was composed by A.R. Rahman, while its visual language was shaped by the cinematography of Rajan Kothari.

For me, costume design has always been about understanding people rather than creating looks. In Zubeidaa, the characters belonged to a peculiar emotional and social world. The clothes had to feel natural within that space.

The costumes in Zubeidaa were designed to reflect emotional distance as much as beauty. From the very beginning, Zubeidaa needed to look graceful and refined, even before she becomes part of the royal household.

She had to carry the presence of a princess in her own right. There is something almost doll-like about her character. She is delicate, expressive, and deeply emotional, and her clothes needed to reflect that softness.

Her first marriage fails, and when she later falls in love with the royal prince, she enters a world that is unfamiliar and restrictive. The palace she moves into is governed by strict rules, traditions, and unspoken hierarchies.

While everything around her is rigid and controlled, Zubeidaa remains a woman shaped by feeling rather than protocol. She is glamorous, romantic, and emotionally free, and this quality is quietly reflected in what she wears.

We consciously chose fabrics, colours, and silhouettes that separated her visually from the rest of the royal family.

Her clothes were softer, lighter, and more fluid, while the palace environment and the people within it were dressed in heavier, more formal clothing. This contrast was deliberate. It showed that although Zubeidaa lived within the palace walls, her inner world never truly belonged there.

Karisma Kapoor has a natural grace, and the costumes were designed to support her performance rather than overpower it. Each look became an extension of Zubeidaa’s emotional state.

Whether she appeared confident, hopeful, or quietly lonely, the clothes moved with her feelings. She stands out in every frame, not because of excess, but because of her emotional honesty. Her isolation within the royal world is felt visually, without the need for explanation.

Rekha’s character represents royalty in its truest form. She belongs to that world completely. She understands its rules, its silences, and its power structures instinctively.

Her authority comes from inheritance and long familiarity with privilege. Her etiquette is effortless, and her presence carries royal dignity. Her style reflects years of refinement, restraint, and command. Everything about her is measured and dignified.

In contrast, Zubeidaa enters the palace as an outsider. Within that setup, she is almost a nobody when compared to Rekha’s character. She does not know the rules of the space or the emotional boundaries that define it. Her clothing is guided by instinct rather than tradition. It is expressive, romantic, and shaped by feeling instead of status.

Behind the scenes: Meticulous artistry

Research was an important part of the process, but so was observation. How people from certain backgrounds carry themselves, how royalty dresses away from the public eye, and how simplicity often carries more dignity than excess. These details quietly shaped the costumes.

What I find most meaningful is that people often remember how the film made them feel. That tells me the costumes blended into the narrative rather than standing apart from it. When design becomes part of memory instead of spectacle, it has served its purpose.

Cinema has changed in many ways over the years, but truthful storytelling remains essential. If Zubeidaa continues to connect with audiences, it is because it stayed honest to its characters and their world.

I feel grateful to have been part of a film that continues to connect with people even twenty-five years later.

Authored by Pia Benegal, Indian costume designer known for her sensitive, character-driven approach to cinema. With decades of work across films that continue to resonate with audiences, her designs remain relevant for their authenticity, restraint, and deep understanding of storytelling. | Views expressed by the author are their own.