Manish Malhotra currently has 8 million followers on Instagram. With 35 years of creativity behind him, Malhotra was the first to take a 9000 sq.ft store in Mehrauli, South Delhi, to do a beauty line, and then jewellery. His biggest earner today is bridal; it was NFTs way back in 2021!

What you notice first in Malhotra as he walks into the Jio Convention Centre, Mumbai, is his media savviness, intact smile, and style of exchanging pleasantries. “I was in love with the movies as a boy growing up in Mumbai in the 70s. I saw a certain strength in the actresses of yesteryears, when I joined the movie business in the 90s,” he says.

When he saw 70 MM movies, he loved the chiffons and the stars draped in them, which you can witness in Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham and Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge. He started the whole trend of the sangeet songs, extravagant dressing, and everything larger than life.

“I enjoyed dressing Kareena Kapoor in an asymmetrical sharara – modern kids got influenced by that style; it became our look,” he admits, as at 60, his perfect jawline remains intact. Though few know, Malhotra began his foray in the glamour world, modelling at the age of 17. For his first ad he received Rs. 2,000 as payment. His father was worried he was going to become an actor. “There was no course for fashion designing, and no fashion schools. From the age of 6, I have been in love with movies. I watched almost all of them wide-eyed. I worked in a boutique, painted, and aspired to change the look of movies,” he adds.

When he joined the cinema industry, he would ask questions like, what the character did in the film, so he could dress the actress accordingly. He felt there needed to be a personality given to the role that became his USP. “I don’t come from fashion education, but what worked in my favour is I am a risk-taker, and I don’t fear failure,” he says, confirming that what matters most to him is his family’s support.

At the outset of his career, he admits, many actresses did not pay him. And it required long hours of work to do things quickly. Sometimes he would be doing five films at one time. He wanted to do costumes in films, but then after 15 years he launched his own label, willing to take a chance on himself. “Mainstream fashion excited me, but I made a lot of mistakes along the way,” he says, adding, “I started the showstopper concept, and Urmila Matondkar was my first. Dressing up celebs for the red carpet in a gown, sari and bridal was my next move.”

He took a 9,000 sq.ft. store in Mehrauli, Delhi. Today, it has 32 other designers. He did jewellery, but it didn’t work out. It was a learning experience, however, just like when he became a producer for films, during COVID-19, with the aim of supporting new storytellers. “A leading actress told me, ‘this is not your kind of film’, but I feel storytelling has no boundaries. If you look at both fashion and food, they have unequivocally changed,” he adds.

After 35 years of being on a creative path, he says he has much more to do. “Every morning I wake up and my to-do list is brimming.” His training is specially in movies, and he can sketch fast, which is how he has managed to put so many looks together. Malhotra says he can put together a wedding outfit in five days.

“Social media has a lot of potential. I love meeting people and interacting with them. Threads is something new, and I haven’t joined yet,” he adds. Instagram is interactive, he can share his feelings, but “I am weak in grammar and sometimes people correct my spelling errors. But then I like the realness as I handle my Insta myself,” he adds, saying he is open to criticism, and he is not “touchy. Insta helps me give my audience insights into my life, like my love for old songs”.

He is also tech savvy and launched NFTs (collection of five NFTs, based on sketches and runway GIFs of his couture, sold on the WazirX NFT Marketplace, he was the first) which sold out in 11 minutes. “The audience today is intelligent; you can’t just impress them with gloss; sincerity always helps,” he says, adding Indian luxe is real — art, architecture, and an amazing heritage that we have. Young designers are really pushing the envelope. The world is looking at India. Even though his offerings are more sensual, he admired Madhubala, down to Jahnavi Kapoor. “You can be fully covered and sensual. Sometimes just how your eyes speak is enough,” he laughs, adding there is an overdose of bridal wear on Insta.

What interests him now is also décor. At the Radhika and Anant Ambani wedding “the detailing and new aspects of design being explored, thrilled me.” His love for the hue mocha, classics, black and white, if he would dress any fictional character, it would be Superman, he says, but Rekha has been his lighthouse. “She never changed her style, loved craft, and wore handlooms. I’m obsessed with her style; she is a true artiste,” he adds, saying fashion is subjective, you can’t make rules of should there be or not be a showstopper?

Another actress he loved is Sridevi, she knew cuts and how to enhance the body. Malhotra learnt many new things from her.

“In school I told the teacher your sandals do not match your sari. My mom was called and the teacher complained to her. So yes, you can say I always knew I would be in fashion,” laughs Malhotra. – Asmita is the Lifestyle Editor of NRI Focus. She is an award winning journalist who has been writing on fashion for the last 32 years