DDLJ turns 25: Manish Malhotra recalls styling Kajol

Mumbai, Oct 19  The all-time blockbuster Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) will be 25 years old on Tuesday, and ace fashion designer Manish Malhotra, who created quite a few style trends in the film, recalled working on the project.

Malhotra designed Kajol’s costumes in the film, and from her ethnic suits to the shiny green lehnga she wore in the song “Mehndi lagake rakhna”, almost all costumes he created for the actress went on to become a rage.

“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 and their characters that was a golden opportunity to do something new. I am always determined when I come into films. I would want to do something that stands out and give all characters a look that will stay on. When Adi (director Aditya Chopra) narrated the DDLJ script, we went crazy about it,” Malhotra recalled.

“Adi was very clear that he wanted Kajol to be real, but yet there is a clever quotient to her, and that synergy, I think, came across strongly in DDLJ’s costumes that were relatable and yet there was something new and special about them. I think that’s what stayed on with the characters. It was real yet it had a certain dreamy, certain aspirational and style element, and that worked,” the designer added.

Released on October 20, 1995, the romantic film starred Kajol with Shah Rukh Khan, went on to become one of the most successful Indian films in history. Late actor Amrish Puri, Anupam Kher, Farida Jalal, Parmeet Sethi and Mandira Bedi played pivotal roles in the movie. The film is also recalled after all these years for Jatin-Lalit’s music.

“I think all characters were beautifully written. They were young, they were fresh, they were very new for the fact that he (Aditya) wanted Kajol to wear glasses, he wanted her going on Euro rail — a conservative father allows her to do that. For Shah Rukh, travelling to India to get the girl — there were so many high moments in the film, moments that the youth connected with. I think Aditya has great understanding of the medium of filmmaking as well as what the audience wants, and it was fun working on this film,” Malhotra added.