He makes gorgeous clothes, he’s a witty conversationalist too. Manish Malhotra chatted with couture jeweller Raj Mahtani, hosted by Ladies Study Group, at ITC Sonar Pala on March 5. Here’s MMspeak.

The Calcutta connect: It goes back to childhood because a very dear aunt of mine lived here. I remember coming here as a child with my mother. My god... this place has changed so much but I love this place… I love the whole culture that the city has. 

His Bolly love: At the age of six, I remember wanting to dance on glass because Meena Kumari danced on glass in Pakeezah. So I would insist that my mother break a glass and I dance on it and she would be like, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ But I have to give it to her. She never stopped me from going to the movies. I liked Hema Malini’s sari, I loved Mumtaz’s orange colour. There was this whole fascination I had with colour. When it came to school, I was very good at art and drawing and that’s how I passed my science exam.

Manish the model: I loved it! From the age of 17, I have been working. When a lot of my building boys would play, I would be auditioning. One day someone told me that this girl really likes you. I was like, she is this really popular girl in college, if she likes me because I am good-looking then why don’t I become a model? My parents told me, ‘You aren’t good-looking....’ I ignored that and thought I must try it because I wanted to travel the world. So I started modelling. And for pocket money, I joined a boutique where I used to train. I used to sketch and was a sales boy. 

Working with Sridevi: Photographer Rakesh Shrestha told me that Sridevi was looking for a stylist. I was all of 22 and here I go to meet Sridevi at the Centaur Hotel… She was a top star and I was nervous. I started working with her and that really helped my career. I have also learnt a lot from her.... I used to travel with her to Chennai for south saris. 

The early struggle: I used to model a lot and that’s how at the age of 19, I saved money. I still remember it was 1987-88 and I saved about Rs 90,000 and I went to Singapore and Bangkok and I came back and I joined this boutique. My father said, you want to be a ladies tailor? Why don’t you join the family business? I was like, no, I want to try my hand at films. If I can change films, I can make a name. The first two years were very tough. The cheques used to bounce. The producers would shut shop if the film flopped. I hadn’t studied fashion but I could draw so fast that I was starting to get a lot of work and at the age of 23, I was designing for Sunny Deol, Sridevi…. 

I was in the midst of it all, running around absolutely frazzled and intimidated, because at that time they weren’t really used to a costume designer being a man. Once I asked the producer what the story of the film was and he was like, ‘How dare you ask me that question? Just make the clothes.’ But I stuck to it. I started working in 1990 and 1995 onwards, everything changed (with Rangeela). So it’s five years of struggle. I was on a plane travelling to London, New York… shopping, learning and now it’s been 25 years.

Manish Malhotra, the label: For many years I worked from my house. I was only doing costumes. I never ever thought that I would have a label of my own till Yash and Avanti Birla offered me a store and it was the first time a costume designer was getting into the mainstream. I worked with them for about two years and then I launched my own label, which makes it 10 years old. So I guess it’s also relationships for many years that I have with people, they have known me and seen me struggle and work hard. So they’re there for me. 

My nature has helped me too. I have never asked a personal question to any actor... how much money are you making, are you seeing so and so.... I’ve always pretended that I didn’t see anything. It’s all about the work. So I think they respect that. 

For a cause: Shabana (Azmi) has an NGO in Mijwan (in Uttar Pradesh), and there were about 40 girls who would do chikankari work, so it’s more about empowerment. I took up that NGO four years ago and now we have 280 women who work… 

On his mind

• I’m 49, so it’s high time I get some business sense. 
• I live to eat. I don’t smoke... I am a foodie and I am an early riser... I wake up at 6-6.30am.
• I definitely wish I were educated. School was all about movie theatres, and during college I was modelling. I didn’t study business or fashion... It’s taken me a longer while.
• Somebody asked me the other day how can you be so patient with brides? I said, think of it, I worked for 25 years with actresses! As long as you understand what matters is their outfit, the shot they would have to give, it’s their role... you are fine. There have been actresses who have taken seven hours to get dressed or five. 
• Earlier designing for an actor meant hanging around... And I am not the hanging-around person. I cannot do a long brunch, for example. I get impatient after a while. How much can one talk?

Rapid fire

Kareena or Karisma: Kareena
Karan Johar or Sanjay Leela Bhansali: Karan Johar
Sridevi or Rekha: Sridevi
Priyanka Chopra’s lips or Sridevi’s hips: Both!
Bhindi or parwal: Bhindi
Dubai or London: Dubai
Sonam’s fashion sense or Deepika’s: Sonam’s fashion sense
Sidharth Malhotra or Varun Dhawan: That’s tricky because Varun is my cousin sister’s son... Varun... But I am close to Sidharth as well 
Your 2am friend — Kangana or Hrithik: I am not on emails

Manish to Raj: 

♦ So after Koffee with Karan this is High Tea with Raj!

♦ Raj if you were a heroine, you would be troublesome. Don’t you think so? You wouldn’t let the hero say his dialogues.

Raj: Manish has this fascination for Rekha. You share a special relationship with her... 

Manish: That’s because she likes to discuss clothes and she knows that I know a lot of her work... we discuss saris, embroidery. So, would you give her one of those necklaces? 

Raj: I think she would be the perfect person to carry it...

Manish: Gift it?

Raj: I don’t know about that!

Manish: And he was calling me a businessman!

Abhilasha Sethia: Both of you have a mutual admiration for each other... 

Manish: Only on stage... 

Abhilasha: Any plans of doing something together?

Manish: Raj is my aspiration! I want to be as rich as Raj someday. Whenever he wants to give me his jewellery, I would love to take it all!