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Manish Malhotra's 35 Years in Cinema: 'DDLJ', 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai', 'Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani' and More
Celebrating 35 years as a costume designer and 20 years of his eponymous label in 2025, Bollywood’s go-to couturier talks style, films and everything in between.
With wedding season in full swing and a wave of iconic film re-releases lighting up cinema halls, one thing is certain — Bollywood owes much of its glamour to Manish Malhotra.
When one thinks of some of the most memorable looks in Hindi cinema, his creations stand out — the ones that every tailor is asked to replicate, come festive season. Preity Zinta’s ethereal blue lehenga in Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003), Kajol’s red sari in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), Deepika Padukone’s cocktail look in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), and well, every single outfit Kareena Kapoor Khan wore as Pooja ‘Poo’ Sharma in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham… (2001) — and that’s barely scratching the surface.
For the designer, 2025 marks 35 years in costume design and 20 years of his namesake label. In conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, he reflects on his early days, defining milestones, and talks about his first love: cinema.
Ahead of His Time
Malhotra was only 25 years old when he worked on his first film, Swarg (1990), starring Govinda and Rajesh Khanna. “Growing up in Mumbai, I was captivated by the magic of cinema — the stories, the music, the way clothes were styled,” he reveals. Malhotra recalls how he’d critique his tuition teacher’s outfits back then. “Eventually, she complained to my mother, saying, ‘Your son isn’t interested in learning anything, all he talks about is fashion’, and that’s when my mother realised my interest was beyond the ordinary,” he recollects.
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His passion for sketching led to his first job at a store, which gave him hands-on experience and an intimate understanding of the craft. But his dream wasn’t the consequence of a single defining event. A culmination of his love for films, fascination with clothing, inclination for creating, passion for sketching and proximity to fabrics — “all made me realise that this was more than just an interest, it was my calling”.
But when he began designing costumes for films, he learnt the industry operated differently. “There were no scripts provided, and producers didn’t regard costume designers as integral to storytelling; they saw us as merely catering to actresses,” he recalls. “Payment was minimal, sometimes not even (given), and respect for the profession was scarce.” The only brief he often received was that the actor needed to look “glamorous” or “sexy”.
“But the turning point came with Rangeela in 1994, where [director] Ram Gopal Varma handed me a script — a first for me in the industry,” he says. Four years into his career, Malhotra had already started advocating for designers to be provided with character details. “This practice, which is now standard, was something I pioneered,” he tells THR India.
Early Days
While Malhotra doesn’t play favourites when it comes to his projects, he admits Rangeela holds a cherished place in his heart. It was the first film in which his vision — of blending contemporary fashion with character-driven styling — came to life. “It marked the beginning of costume designer awards, the first time it was acknowledged as a technical craft…and my first time meeting [actor] Rekhaji on stage,” says Malhotra.
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Another highlight of his career was working with Karisma Kapoor in Raja Hindustani (1996), a film in which he broke several stereotypes by reimagining her style. “It’s about crafting looks that aren’t just fashionable, but unforgettable,” Malhotra says, a notion he proved when he introduced Western athleisure in Dil Toh Pagal Hai (1997). The look “changed Lolo’s (Karisma Kapoor’s) style” and solidified her status as one of the most stylish actresses, even today.
But one can’t speak of iconic Hindi films and not mention the one running in Mumbai theatre Maratha Mandir since 1995 — Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995). Malhotra reminisces, “I remember when [director] Aditya Chopra narrated the film, a day before he presented it to Shah Rukh Khan….”
The designer especially recalls the white skirt Kajol wore while dancing in the rain. “When we were trying it on, Adi (Aditya Chopra) thought it was long, so my seamster started cutting on set, but it ended up being too short. However, Kajol carried it off beautifully!” he says. While the looks in Switzerland were reminiscent of Rekha’s style in Silsila (1981), for the iconic “Tujhe Dekha To” sequence, “Adi specifically wanted Simran to wear a stark white salwar to reflect her pure, unpretentious character,” he explains.
Like his films, Malhotra doesn’t have a preference among the actors he dresses, but he makes an exception for the late actor Sridevi, working with whom was “a dream come true”, he says. “I first met her at Mehboob Studio through [photographer] Rakesh Shrestha, who introduced us during a shoot.” She asked him to create a continuity sweater for Khuda Gawah (1992), which he painted by hand. Shortly after, the actor entrusted Malhotra with costumes for a song in Aadmi Aur Apsara (1991) and introduced him to actor Chiranjeevi in Chennai.
He looks back on a fond memory they shared. “We were in an elevator in Las Vegas after wrapping up a shoot and Sridevi said, ‘Manish, I don’t think I’ll be working anymore. I’m a bit tired, I’ve been working since the age of four.’ I felt a lump in my throat. It was the first time I realised how deeply I admired her — not just as an actress, but as a person.”
She also ordered outfits for Gumrah (1993) and went on to introduce him to Yash Johar. That’s how he met his now friend, Karan Johar.
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Bringing Iconic Characters to Life
Together, Johar and Malhotra reshaped the visual language of Hindi cinema. “Working with Karan was an exciting challenge,” he says, looking back at Preity Zinta’s looks for Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003). “I wanted everything to feel authentic, so I shopped in New York and Toronto, since the first schedule was shot there.” He recently stumbled upon an Instagram page calling the nude-turqouise lehenga in “Maahi Ve” one of the most loved lehengas of all time — and rightfully so.
But when it came to Kajol’s looks in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai (1998), “Karan was very clear about wanting her to be a sporty, tomboyish character,” he recollects. “I bought T-shirts with logos, and tailored the overall fit.”
It reminds him of a funny mishap on set. “Karan and I felt that a shorter hairstyle would suit her persona, but since Kajol was shooting for other films simultaneously, we had to use a wig, which didn’t fit well.” He adds, “There’s one shot where it’s visibly crooked, paired with a denim jacket. We adjusted it the next day, with the help of [make-up artist] Mickey Contractor at Mehboob Studios, and introduced headbands to keep it in place….” A headband that went on to become a rather defining part of her character.
A far cry from Naina’s reticence and Anjali’s innocence, however, was Geet from Jab We Met (2007). “I’ve known Kareena Kapoor Khan since she was nine, back when I started working with Karisma in 1990,” Maltrotra tells us. “I first heard the script at Shahid Kapoor’s house and during the interval, I turned to Kareena and said, ‘This is your film.’ ”
He adds, “I suggested adding a Mughal-e-Azam poster patch on her T-shirt because she was playing this hopeless romantic character, an idea that [director] Imtiaz [Ali] loved.”
The Turning Point
Malhotra launched his namesake label in 2005, something he had never envisioned, given his all-consuming love for cinema. When his work began gaining traction, many requested him to consider wedding couture, to no avail. However, fashion entrepreneur Bhavana Pandey changed that. “She had me design a reception outfit for her because I used to do costumes for [her husband, actor] Chunky [Pandey],” says Malhotra.
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He then started Reverie, a store with the Aditya Birla Group, in 1999, before joining Sheetal Design Studio. “I thought my label would be a small one making saris,” he says. “I introduced a collection of tunics at a small store at Palladium mall [in Mumbai], and they sold out. Then, I took them to [multi-designer store] Ensemble, and I still remember [executive director] Tina Tahiliani Parikh telling me, ‘This is synthetic fabric, which we don’t keep’, but it sold out in two days.” Malhotra adds, “Slowly, the label grew, and I became busier.”
And busier, he was. “I remember being in London, burnt out, because I was doing five films at once: Heroine (2012), Student of the Year (2012), Jab Tak Hai Jaan (2012), Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013), and another that I can’t recall now,” he says. At the same time, he had to prepare for a fashion week. That’s when he called on his confidants, Karan Johar and his sister-in-law Sujata Malhotra, and realised that he needed to reduce his film commitments and focus on his label. That led to his vintage store opening in Mehrauli, New Delhi, in 2013, a turning point for his career outside of films.
The second designer to cross the ₹100 crore mark in net worth, Malhotra now boasts a jewellery line; a make-up brand, MyGlamm; and an atelier, besides starting his own film production house, Stage5 Production. “It all feels surreal,” he says.
His stand-out creations are sequinned saris influenced by the ’50s, ’60s and ’70s. And it all began with Priyanka Chopra Jonas’s one from “Desi Girl” in Dostana (2008). “I told Karan and [director] Tarun [Mansukhani] that the sari should be silver; and instead of using sequins on the sari, I suggested a sequinned petticoat to showcase her figure. It reminded me of how my mother made trousseaus for my sisters-in-law. She included sequinned Banarasis and chiffons and I suggested to my team that we revive them.” He introduced them at his fashion show, titled “Maahrumysha”, in 2019, and they’ve been replicated a thousand times since.
Renditions of that sari are a staple for Gen-Z stars. Reflecting on the shift in the industry, he notes that the biggest difference between the older stars he worked with and newer ones is the latter’s dependency on stylists. “Not because they lack style but perhaps they don’t have the time,” he says. “The older actors created their own style based on what they could carry and what felt comfortable.” But Malhotra understands that trends dominate now. “For instance, if a stylist works with a particular designer, other stylists will follow suit, leading to many actors wearing the same designer for a few months.”
Craft and Couture
“Urmila Matondkar’s cotton saris in Satya (1998) and Karisma Kapoor’s Banarasi brocade saris in Hero No. 1 (1997) were influenced by [actors] Rakhiji and Rekhaji,” Malhotra reveals, often even cutting up two or three saris and combining them into one. However, when he started his label, handlooms and textiles weren’t his primary focus.
“With maturity — and, of course, love — I began non-profit initiatives like Mijwan. I visited Varanasi and fell in love with it, just like I did with Kashmir and its craft,” he says.
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From introducing celebrity showstoppers to actors sitting in the front row, Manish Malhotra has championed many firsts in the worlds of film and fashion. But his ultimate goal remains to be happy, positive and busy working. “I want to work until my last day. It has brought me relationships, a lifestyle, and a sense of fulfilment,” he says. He still approaches his craft with the excitement and humility of a newcomer, and perhaps that’s the foundation of his enduring legacy.
The Making of 3 Iconic Manish Malhotra Designs
Kareena Kapoor Khan’s red set in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham...: “Karan [Johar] wanted a fashionable, modern look. I tailored and combined pieces from London and Paris to create something unique. In Milan, I found a pair of red pants from Roberto Cavalli along with a red top for ‘You Are My Soniya’.”
Deepika Padukone’s blue sari in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani: “I didn’t think it would become so popular but I’m not surprised. Saris are timeless and I love their versatility.”
Kajol’s bridal outfit in Kuch Kuch Hota Hai: “I draped the sari in my drawing room, explaining how it could have a drape over one shoulder and another over the head. Initially, Karan and Kajol laughed, but they eventually loved the idea. That peach outfit wasn’t a lehenga; it was a sari!”
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