As a film critic and author of books on films, Sanjeev Srivatava is an established name in Film Journalism. He has in-depth understanding of each and every thing related to Hindi cinema. He is also operating in the digital world 
as Editor, epictureplus.com. Excerpts from an interview with Dwijendra Kumar:
1. What is costume Designing?
Ans: Costume Designing is a highly creative field. A costume designer has to create dresses for television serials, movies and dramas. Herein role of imagination and beauty are of utmost worth and value. Dresses of various characters are designed keeping in mind the main theme or plot of a story. It is not just dress designing; but beyond that. It is an art form wherein Individuality and creative freedom give place to creating suitable dresses for various characters belonging to varied time periods, regions and nationalities. While keeping the essence of time in which the story is ser in and also dignity of characters in mind, costume designers are expected to use their imagination and skills to enhance their looks and appearances.
2. Name few leading Costume Designers who have made a name for themselves in Bollywood?
Ans: There are many costume designers who have carved a nice for themselves in the highly competitive Hindi film industry, all due to hard work they have put in Bollywood and talent they possess. Few such names include Dolly Ahluwalia who has designed dresses for films such as Bandit Queen, Bhag Milkha Bhag, Haider etc and Manish Malhotra who is now a big name and associated with big Bollywood hits including Rangeela. In addition to these leading names, Anita Shroff Adjania and Maxima Basu too have designed costumes for big Bollywood projects or major Hindi films.
3. Is a course in Fashion Designing a pre-requisite for success in the field?
Ans: Yes it helps. Those having qualification in Fashion Designing are able to face professional challenges more confidently. If one aspires to be a costume designer, s/he may be advised to obtain a professional diploma/degree in Fashion Designing, Costume Designing or Apparel Designing.
4. How you foresee career prospects of aspirants in this field?
Ans. Demand exceeds supply in the case of Costume Designers. And so they keep setting new targets for themselves to achieve. New records are being made and old ones broken in the entertainment world. There are many new Films, TV serials and Web Series being produced these days. Number of plays being staged too has increased manifold. Fashion Shows are being organised regularly. Big events are also being organised by the corporate sector to promote their brands and products. Awards Shows and related events are also being held regularly. There is huge possibilities for aspirants in the field to earn name, fame and wealth too.
