Masaba Gupta pays tribute to Wendell Rodricks in Season 2 of Masaba Masaba

The Netflix Original series _Masaba Masaba_ , which is based on the life of Mumbai-based fashion designer and actor Masaba Gupta , is back with its second season. In this biographical drama directed by Sonam Nair, Gupta plays herself. It explores her professional trajectory, romantic life, relationship with her mother, her friendships, and her persona as a celebrity. This season pays tribute to Gupta’s mentor Wendell Rodricks – the Goan fashion designer, gay rights activist, and Padma Shri awardee – who passed away on February 12, 2020. Rodricks took Gupta under her wing when she was his student at the Premlila Vithaldas Polytechnic of Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey (SNDT) Women’s University. The Green Room (2012), an autobiography written by Rodricks, and published by Rain Tree – an imprint of Rupa Publications – devotes a few pages to his experience as a teacher at SNDT. Rodricks enjoyed lecturing on “apparel construction and world costume history”. He loved being a teacher, and liked to stay away from administrative politics. In the book, he notes, “The students mattered the most to me – I was more interested in them understanding the subject at hand than in grading their performance in examinations.” He also writes about Chrysalis, SNDT’s annual fashion show wherein students got to showcase their own work. In the fourth episode of Masaba Masaba’s new season, Gupta receives some horrible news when she is at a big party celebrating 10 years of her journey with the fashion label House of Masaba. A journalist asks her, “Masaba Ma’am, when you first entered this industry, you had a very special mentor – Wendell. We just got to know that he died today. Do you want to say a few words?” Gupta is shocked into silence when she hears this. She finds it tough to believe that a person who was such a significant presence in her life has gone away so suddenly. Microphones are thrust into her face, with every journalist eager to get a sound bite. Gupta is too spaced out to react. Her publicist Nicole, played by Kusha Kapila, tries to rescue her. Eventually, Gupta’s investor Dhairya Rana, played by Neil Bhoopalam, drives her home. On the way, he tells her, “I’m sorry about Wendell. I know you’ll were close.” He is not sure if it is a good idea to leave Gupta alone in this situation. He is also in love with her, so he is more invested in her emotional well-being than a regular investor would have been. He stays over. In the fifth episode, Gupta receives numerous condolence messages on her phone but she is not in the mind space to respond to any of them. Nicole persuades her to post about Rodricks on her social media because the fashion industry must be expecting it. Gupta snaps at her, and says, “Nicole, this is a personal matter. I’ll post it when I feel like it.” Gupta is deeply shaken, and wants the publicist to know that her grief is not available to be milked for publicity. In real life, Gupta had honoured his memory with two Instagram posts featuring photographs and accompanying text. On February 13, 2020, she wrote, “What do I even say? Lost a ‘proud-dad’ and my dear Sir. Can’t get myself to say goodbye in person today so will save that for another time when I see you on the other side.”

On February 15, 2020, Gupta wrote, “From being an admirer to student to finally becoming his muse. He taught me to keep my heart open in what can be a terrifying industry sometimes. And open it shall always be. Open, fearless and childlike.”

Gupta’s bond with Rodricks was so close that, at one point, there were rumours that Gupta would step in as his successor and the creative head of the Wendell Rodricks label. These speculations were fed by the fact that Purple Style Labs, which acquired the Wendell Rodricks brand, was a strategic equity investor in House of Masaba. Gupta put these rumours to rest through a news report dated May 27, 2021, written by Shweta Shiware of Mid-Day. There are numerous ways of carrying on a legacy. In the second season of Masaba Masaba, Gupta launches a new line of clothes for teenage girls of various shapes and sizes so that they can feel beautiful in their own bodies instead of facing the pressure to conform to idealized beauty standards that discriminate, exclude and humiliate. The inspiration for this approach seems to reflect her mentor’s philosophy. In his book The Green Room, Rodricks states, “At the Wendell Rodricks Design Space, our sizing is unique. We have Slim, Medium, Voluptuous (for L) and Voluptuous Goddess (for XL).” He would have been proud of Gupta. Chintan Girish Modi is a writer, journalist and educator who tweets @chintanwriting Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram