‘Films are a part of me’

From dressing 63-year-old style icon Rekha to styling 19-year-old Ananya Pandey in the same time frame— the fact that designer Manish Malhotra has managed to prove his credentials across generations of Bollywood is not lost on anyone.

On the sidelines of his successful show in Singapore, which saw him put the indomitable Kareena Kapoor Khan alongside young gun Kartik Aaryan on the runway, we speak to Malhotra about being an unmatched force in the world of fashion. “Films are a part of me. I am proud to be the only designer to be now working so closely with the third generation of Bollywood — From Alia Bhatt and Ananya Pandey to Sarah Ali Khan. Having this opportunity to work with actors across generations — from Rekhaji to Janhvi Kapoor — is a blessing,” says Malhotra. One would think as he nears three decades of his career, he’d choose the luxury of taking it easy. But, that’s not him. “I give 12 to 18 hours every day to work. Something that I want to keep doing this year is to keep evolving with different expressions of style.

And, next up is my Mijwan show on April 9,” says Malhotra. “I have never been shy of my work being glamorous. That’s what fashion is all about — of not shying away from individuality and individual belief. I seek and see beauty in everything, I like women to be confident in their skin, be themselves and choose to wear whatever they love!,” he says.

MALHOTRA SAYS HE IS PROUD TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE THIRD GENERATION OF BOLLYWOOD.

PHOTO: HTBS