From his first Bollywood break with Juhi Chawla to impact of Sridevi’s death, Manish Malhotra opens up about his inspiring journey
Ace fashion designer Manish Malhotra, in an interview with Humans of Bombay Facebook page has opened up about his childhood, early struggles, his first break, his career and the worst moments of his life. The Mumbai-born former model revealed that he grew up in a ‘typical Punjabi household’ and was always fascinated by Bollywood, so much so that he watched every single film that was released. The 53-year-old designer opened up about his life story in the recent post.
In the interview, Manish spoke about how his love for fashion developed early and the fact that he was uninterested in academics. He said, “Growing up, I was always fascinated by Bollywood films and made it a point to watch every single film that was released. But I wasn’t a very good student and found academics boring. In the 6th grade, I remember joining a painting class -- I enjoyed it so much! From watching films, to painting, and being surrounded by mother’s clothes, my love for fashion grew. I used to even give fashion advice to my mom on her sarees!”
He revealed that he began his career in fashion and started working in a boutique where he earned Rs 500 a month. He reveals that at the age of 25 he got his first break in Bollywood, working on a film starring Juhi Chawla. He further said. “But ‘Rangeela’ was a turning point for me -- I won my very first Filmfare award for it! But there were challenges -- I remember producers would get so irritated when I’d ask multiple questions about the storyline. The only brief I had was to make the heroine look glamorous. But I wanted to do more!”
He also spoke about the devastating effect Sridevi’s untimely death had on him and said, “ When Sridevi passed away, it was probably one of the worst moments of my life, professionally and personally. But through it all, my work kept me going. I began as a costume designer, and today I’m a fashion designer who’s working with the 4th generation of actors! And this year, I’ll complete 30 years in the industry. But the one thing that hasn’t changed is that, even after all this time, I still get nervous before fashion shows! And I want that to remain the same, because that’s my identity -- it reminds me of who I am, where I’ve come from, and what I’m meant to do.”
Manish Malhotra showcased his designs on Blenders Pride Fashion Tour 2020 recently. He showcased the ‘Brides of India’ collection at the fashion festival that has Priyanka Chopra Jonas as its brand ambassador.
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