Written and directed by debutant Aditya Chopra, DDLJ shattered all box office records and is one of the biggest all-time blockbusters in the history of Hindi cinema.
Fashion designer Manish Malhotra brought his A-game on for the Aditya Chopra directorial, Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge, and wowed fans with costumes and styling that made DDLJ one of the most fashionable films of all time.
As Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol starrer Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (lovingly also called DDLJ) completes 25 years, Manish opened up about his vision with DDLJ that made costume design an integral part of every film's creative roadmap going forward.
DDLJ’s looks are considered iconic. They are a part of Indian pop culture history. What was the inspiration behind that?
For a film, the most important part is the script. It’s the narrative and the vision of the director. There was something so refreshing about the film & their characters, it was such a golden opportunity to do something new. I was always determined when I came into films, I would want to do something that stands out and give all characters a look that will stay on. DDLJ was a script when Adi narrated it, we went crazy about it. Being a huge fan of Yash Raj and Yash Chopra ji, for me, it was almost like a dream come true. I think that’s what stayed on with the characters in Indian cinema. It was real but yet had a certain dreamy, certain aspirational, and certain style element about them and that worked.
DDLJ gave India an on-screen couple of SRK and Kajol to fall in love with. What did you love about their characters in their film?
I think their characters were beautifully written. They were very young, they were very fresh, they were very new for the fact that he wanted Kajol to wear glasses, he wanted her going on Euro rail, how a conservative father allows her to do that, for Shah Rukh - actually traveling back to India to get the girl, so there were so many high moments in the film, moments that youth connected with. I think Aditya has a great understanding of the medium of filmmaking as well as what the audience wants and it was extremely fun working on this film.
Written and directed by debutant Aditya Chopra, DDLJ shattered all box office records and is one of the biggest all-time blockbusters in the history of Hindi cinema. It also went on to become the longest-running Hindi film of all time.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "25 Years of DDLJ: Manish Malhotra on styling Aditya Chopra's directorial and how it shaped Indian fashion, pop culture")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}