From Zeenat Aman to Rekha: Kritika Kamra on bringing Gulrukh in Matka King to life

Mumbai: Kritika Kamra brought iconic 1970s fashion back onscreen with her character Gulrukh in Matka King. The actress said she turned to pages from the lives of Parveen Babi, Zeenat Aman, Sharmila Tagore, and Rekha to style her character.

Sharing her experience, Kritika said, “The team spent a lot of time understanding the look and feel of the era and my character Gulrukh particularly. It started with a photo of Parveen Babi that Nagraj sir had shared and then we looked at the legendary Zeenat Aman, Sharmila Tagore, Rekha for inspiration. Our costume designer, Priyanka Dubey did multiple trials with me.”

Not just actresses, Kritika revealed that the inspiration was also taken from jazz clubs and Parsi events.

“Everything from the hair to shoes and accessories was discussed and sourced with great care. Not just the iconic actresses of the time, we also saw real photos of jazz clubs, races and Parsi events that have been documented.”

“The costume, hair and makeup have been a big part of who this character is and helped me greatly in finding the poise that Gulrukh needed.”

Talking about her latest project Matka King, the show also stars Vijay Varma and Sai Tamhankar. It tells the story of Mumbai in the 1960s, where an enterprising cotton trader who craves legitimacy and respect, starts a new gambling game dubbed ‘Matka’.

In other news, Kritika got married to Gaurav Kapur on March 11 in an intimate wedding setting with their families and a close circle of friends in attendance. They had their registrar wedding at home.

Kritika made her acting debut in 2007 with Yahan Ke Hum Sikandar.

In 2009, she played a singer, Arohi in Kitani Mohabbat Hai opposite Karan. She was then seen in Pyaar Ka Bandhan, Kitani Mohabbat Hai 2, Kuch Toh Log Kahenge,

In 2015, Kritika played a reporter, Ananya Kashyap opposite Rajeev Khandelwal, in Reporters. She was then seen as Princess Chandrakanta in Prem Ya Paheli – Chandrakanta. She made her film debut in 2018, with Mitron. In 2021, she played a college student Sana in the web series Tandav.

The actress played a reporter Vidhi, in the 2023 film Bheed. In the same year, she played Habiba, in Bambai Meri Jaan. Her most recent release, Gyaarah Gyaarah.

IANS