By Sukant Deepak
New Delhi, Mar 23 (IANS): "When you say that it has been three decades for me in the movie industry, I suddenly feel so old," smiles fashion designer Manish Malhotra, stressing that he has loved every frame of each film he has been part of. "It has been a beautiful journey, and I consider myself lucky to be still doing what I enjoy the most. Every new assignment has shown me a novel path towards fulfillment. I feel when you love something, in my case, movies so much, the same comes back to you," Malhotra tells IANS.
For a designer who never attended any fashion school, worked with multiple generations of actors, managing to stay ‘relevant' has been a breeze. Stressing that the reason for that is that is the fact that he never fears speaking his mind, he adds, "There are times I ‘see' more than the actors because they are much younger than me. Also, I never fear work. I want to know more, understand the character and the story. I have to weave the look with the realism of the character. After all, People prefer real more than something that is made to look beautiful. It makes sense to study everything deeply and discuss," he says during an interaction on the sidelines of the recently concluded Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF).
Malhotra admits that things have changed rapidly ever since he worked on ‘Rangeela' (1995), and he has learnt to adapt. From things glamorous to now realistic, the designer feels he has had to be more creative to fit the niche. "It has become more important for every designer to get more detailed, clearer and creative. I have incorporated so much, after all, you make that identity so that people relate you with that."
Like other industries, fashion has not been left untouched by the Pandemic. "People are bound to buy with a vengeance. They are now going in for established names and looking for quality -- something that will last. It has been relatively easy for the organised sector to bounce back. Also, I have noticed that people have become clearer about what they want. There is more inclusivity and gender fluidity. The young are not apprehensive or afraid to wear what they want to."
A fashion designer, couturier, costume stylist, entrepreneur... what is it that pushes him to constantly innovate? He says that he is always interested in things and feel constantly challenged by himself. "That also means you commit a lot of mistakes. Of course, I wonder if I even need to start new things from scratch. But then, how do you grow? And I don't mind failing, I get to learn so much."