Raamz, well-known for his work in the Tollywood industry, gets candid with The Pioneer, sharing his formative days in the industry, working with legendary superstars of the South, creating revolution with NBK’s Akhanda look, and more.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
Ram, also known as Raamz, started his career in fashion in Hyderabad before transitioning into the acting business. He is well-known for his work designing costumes for Tollywood celebs. His creations frequently combine modern aesthetics with classic southern workmanship! He was born in Razole, a town in Andhra Pradesh. A self-taught designer, who started out creating costumes for movies in south India also created the sets for around twenty different films. Enthiran, starring Rajnikanth, is amongst his best creations.
For our Tollywood segment, it was only fitting to interview this self-made designer, who starts out by saying, “Our Tollywood movies served as a huge inspiration to me from my childhood itself. I’m not kidding! Call me a movie buff, but I noticed the kinds of clothes that our celebs in Tollywood were sporting. I joined the Tollywood film industry, but I’m a costume designer now, to feed my inner keeda! I now admire the way the celebrities in the Tollywood industry dress.”
The costume designer-turned-actor, in the exclusive video interview, knowing some insider information shares, “I can only say that I find “school” in Tollywood films. My mentors are the directors and actors who I have been working with up to this point. Since the film director is the one who pitches the idea in the end, I didn’t see the necessity of investing money in a fashion school. Thus, why waste money? In actuality, when I first started learning about fashion and styling, my wife was of huge help. The unstoppable partnerships of today are a result of the way we approach superstars. Let’s celebrate with a toast.”
Raamz, along with his wife, have dressed actors like Vijay Deverakonda, Rana Daggubati, and Nagarjuna over the years, after gaining their big break with Sukumar’s 2007 film Jagadam. He has also contributed to Rajinikanth’s Robot as a designer!
Well, moving ahead, he shares, “You may say I’m a bad student, but I eventually realised that education won’t benefit me in the long run. I should work in the creative industry! I went now in order to comprehend South fashion. Before starting to work on celebrity costumes, it was crucial for me to learn the distinctions between a worldwide, Indian, and local designer. What even does the term “aesthetics” entail in the context of fashion? I had no idea. I realised what aesthetics were when Amitabh Bachchan donned one of my fashion couture pieces.”
Isn’t it a dream come true when one gets to work with the megastars of the industry? So was he! Starting his work in the film business, working with Chiranjeevi, he recalls, “Thanks to my wife’s viral look that she made for him a few years back. It was referred to as his “best look” upon entering the motion picture business. Is that even possible to imagine? He especially expressed his gratitude to us through his daughter. And how could I forget my work on the movie Akhanda, in which I gave the lead actor, Nandamuri Balakrishna, an ‘Aghora’ look? That turned out to be a recent trend as well! The director approached me and explained how my appearance contributed to the movie being a revolution during the pandemic.”
Speaking further on his involvement in Telugu feature films, he emphasises, “The reason I was able to get these films, Pachchis or Fighter Raja, is the quantity of successful directors I have previously collaborated with. Additionally, technicians were helpful! I became overly excited about scouting film ideas for me to act in while working as a costume designer.” A detailed discussion about the costume designer-turned-actor’s next film, Fighter Raja, will be covered in our upcoming exclusive interview, so stay tuned!
