Fashion designer Manish Malhotra, a prominent figure in the entertainment industry for over three decades, has famously worked with many of India’s top filmmakers and designed costumes for numerous blockbuster films. However, a notable exception in his extensive portfolio is filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, with whom he has not collaborated since their first project together over 30 years ago.
During a recent appearance on the chat show “Two Much With Kajol and Twinkle,” Manish Malhotra discussed his professional dynamic with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He revealed that Bhansali’s reluctance to work with him stemmed from a perception that Malhotra was closely associated with a specific clique in the industry, particularly filmmakers Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra.
Malhotra, who was accompanied by actress Sonakshi Sinha on the show, responded to a question from hosts Kajol and Twinkle Khanna about directors he hadn’t collaborated with. Kajol pointed out that Malhotra had worked with most top directors except Bhansali. Malhotra confirmed this, stating, “I did only one film, Khamoshi. After that, we never worked together.” He was referring to ‘Khamoshi: The Musical,’ which marked Bhansali’s directorial debut in 1996. Since then, Bhansali has directed several critically acclaimed films and a web series.
Explaining the reason behind this lack of further collaboration, Malhotra shared Bhansali’s perspective: “I think once somebody asked him that and he always thought I was very friendly with Karan Johar and Adi (Aditya Chopra), in that group kind of thing.” Malhotra mentioned that he had even addressed this with Bhansali directly at a later point.
He recounted his conversation with the filmmaker, saying, “I said, ‘Sanjay, I am a professional and I can work with so many different actors.’ Yes, but sometimes some things just don’t happen, and then you just make your own path.” This suggests a belief that his perceived industry alliances might have influenced professional opportunities.
Manish Malhotra’s illustrious career began in the 1980s with modelling. He later transitioned into styling and made his debut as a costume designer with the 1990 film ‘Swarg.’ He has since been a pivotal force in costume design, contributing to iconic films such as ‘Rangeela,’ ‘Kuch Kuch Hota Hai,’ and ‘Veer-Zaara,’ among many others.