Bengaluru Stylist Gousia Galib Khan Details Design Behind Viral Kalyani Music Video
Bengaluru-based stylist Gousia Galib Khan has revealed the creative design and styling process behind the viral music video "Kalyani," which recently trended at number one on YouTube and surpassed 90 million streams on Spotify. Khan, who lives in Bengaluru, drew inspiration from Karnataka's rich textile traditions and heritage jewellery to craft the visual identity for the character portrayed by actress Saniya Iyappan in the video, which features vocals by playback singer Shreya Ghoshal.
Working alongside director Ben, Khan explored nearly a hundred sketches before finalizing the character's look. The design aimed to balance traditional roots with contemporary aesthetics, blending Kerala's cultural elements, Bollywood glamour, and modern silhouettes.
The final styling featured a flowing skirt representing movement, paired with a contemporary corset. Instead of conventional Kerala jewellery, Khan selected temple-inspired Kundan pieces to establish a fresh identity for the character.
Khan described the character of Kalyani as gentle yet resilient, balancing strength, beauty, femininity, and masculinity. This contrast was deliberately woven into the clothing choices to reflect the character's personality.
The music video features three distinct costumes, including a South Indian-inspired opening look, a rain sequence influenced by Bollywood aesthetics, and a vibrant dance costume designed to match the grandeur of Ghoshal's vocals. Khan emphasized that the outfits had to be highly functional, utilizing soft fabrics and movement-friendly silhouettes to accommodate the demanding choreography.
Khan noted that her favorite part of the styling process extended to the background dancers. Coordinated details such as baby's breath flowers and matching jewellery were used to create a cohesive visual palette for the entire production.
The video's visual appeal recently gained widespread attention online, even earning praise from American musician Snoop Dogg on Instagram. Khan credited her time living in Bengaluru as a major influence on her creative language, noting that Karnataka's artistic traditions heavily guided her design choices.
Originally from Andhra Pradesh, Khan previously worked in the makeup industry before transitioning to styling. She highlighted the growing importance of styling in visual storytelling and noted how social media has helped bring behind-the-scenes technicians into the spotlight.
