Leepakshi Ellawadi on styling Akshay Kumar’s Shiva look for ‘OMG 2’: Had to create a mix of what Shiva would look like in the contemporary world | Hindi Movie News

Shades of blue, thick dreadlocks and scores of spiritual accessories amplify Akshay Kumar’s spiritual avatar of Lord Shiva in ‘OMG 2’. Leepakshi Ellawadi, who has styled Akshay for this iconic role, opened up about the brief for the character and shared, “I couldn’t think of anyone better than Akshay Kumar who can embody the essence and gravitas of Lord Shiva. I had to create the right mix of what Shiva could look like in a contemporary world, how can we break away from the image which has been portrayed for years keeping cultural context, people’s sentiments with utmost respect and maintain authenticity.”

When asked about the challenges she faced for creating a God-like character with a modern-day twist, Leepakshi added, “I think it’s not difficult but the sensitive part is to always remember that when depicting a revered deity, it’s crucial to approach the character with respect and authenticity, while also leaving room for creative interpretation within the boundaries of cultural significance.

I think there is a lot of cultural sensitivity when creating a deity inspired character and I had to keep that in mind always.”
Decoding Akshay’s look, she added, “I wanted to break away from doing very typical accessories and give it a mix to create a vagabond-like character yet keeping the colour palette the way we see Shiva. I have used blues throughout his wardrobe, with a hint of red. All accessories are hand made with assorted beads and other hints of metals, fabrics and threads intertwined into it.”