EXCLUSIVE: Ashley Rebello recalls working on Chandni Bar with just Rs. 50,000 costume budget; gives a peek into the huge challenge of making it authentic

By Jiya Chulet -

November 13, 2025 - 4:51 PM IST

Veteran costume designer Ashley Rebello, known for styling some of Bollywood’s biggest stars across more than 100 films, recently opened up about the challenges of working with limited budgets in filmmaking. Currently being lauded for his work in the recently released film Haq, Ashley shared insights from his decades-long career during an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Hungama.

EXCLUSIVE: Ashley Rebello recalls working on Chandni Bar with just Rs. 50,000 costume budget; gives a peek into the huge challenge of making it authentic

Speaking about how budgets impact costume design, Ashley explained, “It does a lot. Because the more the budget you get, the more the research you can do, the more you can work on each individual piece. You can work on lots of things, you know. So it helps a lot if you're given a free hand. Most of the time they give you a very, very tight budget, so it becomes difficult — but you manage.”

Recalling one of his most challenging projects, Ashley revealed how he managed to design costumes for Madhur Bhandarkar’s Chandni Bar on an extremely limited budget. “I remember doing Chandni Bar. I was given Rs. 50,000 for the full film. And I was like, how can I finish the costume for it?” he said.

Reflecting on that experience with a laugh, he added, “It was a huge challenge. Don’t even ask me how I did it. When I look back, I’m like, Ashley, how did you do it? Begged, borrowed, stole — that’s what you do. Begging was more, borrowing was less. Stealing, of course, no — but going to people’s houses, asking for their old clothes, making things look authentic, even getting things hand-painted from friends for free… that was a big challenge.”

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With a career spanning over three decades, Ashley Rebello’s body of work continues to reflect his creative adaptability — whether he’s crafting grand, high-budget looks or working with tight resources to bring realism to the screen.

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Haq costume designer Ashley Rebello reveals Yami Gautam’s reaction to first look test, says he took inspiration from his father to avoid “70s caricature”; decodes 5-month research process