A view of the sea

Neeta Lulla’s Overnight Miracle: Aishwarya’s 13‑Metre Devdas Saree

Aishwarya Rai as Paro running with her saree ablaze in Devdas remains one of Bollywood’s most powerful scenes

Just hours before the shoot, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali envisioned a longer, silk saree–one that could catch fire dramatically

He asked Neeta Lulla for a 15‑metre silk saree—and requested two, “in case one burns”

Neeta called a vendor to open at midnight, sourced fabric, and got embroiderers working immediately

From around 12 am to 6 am, Neeta and her team stitched two sarees—ready for the early-morning shoot

By 9:30 am, the freshly made sarees were on set—just in time for the climax shot

Neeta crafted these saris by mixing layers from 2–3 sarees, drawing on her research of traditional Bengali drapes

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