New Delhi, Feb. 1 -- Nikkhil Advani's Freedom At Midnight on SonyLIV is a compelling web series of India's struggle for Independence, capturing the pivotal moments and key figures. It also serves as a reminder of how clothing shapes politics, ideology and leadership.

Costume designer Ayesha Dasgupta recently won the Filmfare OTT Award for Best Costume Design for the show. In an interview, Dasgupta unpacks her research-driven process and the challenge of recreating a defining moment in history through clothes. Edited excerpts:

In Freedom at Midnight, textiles have played a big role in reflecting political ideologies. So when it comes to Gandhiji, we only used handspun cloth for his dhoti and the gamcha; otherwise you don't get the correc...