Manish Malhotra On Not Working With Bhansali: ‘He Thought I Was Too Close To Karan Johar And Aditya Chopra'

Manish Malhotra revealed why he never collaborated with Sanjay Leela Bhansali after Khamoshi, saying the filmmaker believed he was part of Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra’s “group.”

Before becoming one of Bollywood’s most sought-after designers, Manish began his career as a model in the 1980s.

Source : PTI

Ace fashion designer Manish Malhotra, who has dressed some of the biggest stars in Indian cinema for over three decades, recently opened up about never collaborating with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali — a surprising fact given their shared flair for grandeur and visual opulence.

Manish Malhotra on Sanjay Leela Bhansali

During his appearance on the chat show Two Much With Kajol and Twinkle, Manish was joined by actor Sonakshi Sinha when the topic of frequent collaborators came up. Kajol pointed out that while the designer has worked with nearly every leading filmmaker, Bhansali remains an exception.

Responding to her, Manish shared, “I did only one film, Khamoshi. After that, we never worked together.” The 1996 film, Khamoshi: The Musical, marked Bhansali’s directorial debut. Since then, the filmmaker has gone on to helm several acclaimed projects and even ventured into streaming with Heeramandi.

Explaining why the two never reunited after Khamoshi, Manish revealed, “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.” He added that he had once spoken to Bhansali about the misunderstanding. “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.”

Manish Malhotra’s illustrious journey

Before becoming one of Bollywood’s most sought-after designers, Manish began his career as a model in the 1980s. His transition into fashion came when he styled the late Divya Bharti for an unreleased film in 1989. He made his debut as a costume designer with Swarg in 1990 and went on to redefine on-screen fashion through iconic films such as Rangeela, Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Veer-Zaara, and Enthiran, among many others.