Highlights:
- Manish says Bhansali thought he was in Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra’s camp
- Revealed it on Kajol and Twinkle Khanna’s chat show Two Much With Kajol and Twinkle
- They only worked once on Bhansali’s debut Khamoshi: The Musical
- Manish says he later confronted Bhansali but “some things just don’t happen”
Manish Malhotra has dressed Bollywood for over thirty years, but one major director’s films are conspicuously absent from his portfolio. Speaking about Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Two Much With Kajol and Twinkle, he said the filmmaker believed he was “too close to Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra,” and that assumption cost them future collaborations.
Manish Malhotra opened up about not working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali since Khamoshi: The Musical Getty Images
Why Manish Malhotra and Bhansali never worked together again
On the chat show, Manish appeared alongside actor Sonakshi Sinha. When Kajol pointed out he had worked with almost every major director except Bhansali, Manish replied, “I did only one film, Khamoshi. After that, we never worked together.”
Released in 1996, Khamoshi: The Musical was Bhansali’s directorial debut. The film starred Salman Khan and Manisha Koirala and featured Manish’s early costume work. Since then, Bhansali has gone on to make visually lavish films like Devdas and Padmaavat, yet never teamed up with the designer again.
Manish explained, “He always thought I was very friendly with Karan Johar and Adi (Aditya Chopra), in that group kind of thing.”
Manish revealed Bhansali thought he was too close to Karan Johar and Aditya ChopraGetty Images
“I told Sanjay, I’m a professional”
Manish shared that he once brought it up with Bhansali directly. “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 make your own path.”
It’s a telling reflection of Bollywood’s unwritten loyalties and invisible lines, something Manish seems to have moved past gracefully. “You make your own path,” he repeated, summing up his decades-long career that’s seen him design for everyone from Sridevi to Alia Bhatt.
Manish Malhotra said he confronted Bhansali but chose to “make his own path” in BollywoodGetty Images
Manish on why films still matter to him
On Two Much, Manish said his love for cinema started early. “At six, I would dance to every song and was obsessed with clothes. My mum encouraged that,” he recalled. He wanted to make films “look good again” after the 1980s, when fashion on screen had lost its spark.
Manish Malhotra’s decades-long journey continues to define the look of Indian cinemaGetty Images
From costume designer to couture house owner, Manish Malhotra’s name has stayed woven into the story of Indian cinema.
