Made to measure

Madhav Agasti's memoir, like the clothes he has stitched for actors and politicians, is a 'fitting' tribute to his life—simple yet powerful

- PUJA AWASTHI

When Mogambo declared 'Mogambo khush hua' in his all-black coat studded with skulls, few knew that the iconic villain's look was born from weeks of poring over foreign magazines, newspaper clippings and film history encyclopedias. The man behind that outfit? Madhav Agasti, who insists on simply calling himself a tailor.

Not for him the fancy designations—stylist, costume designer or fashion consultant. “The word tailor is not small, it carries dignity,” he says. “A tailor takes fabric and gives it shape, life and meaning. I take pride in it because it connects me to an Indian tradition that is centuries old.”

That simple yet powerful philosophy defines his memoir, Stitching Stardom. It is an unadorned, straightforward and unapologetically unassuming book. But the lessons it offers—glimpses of film stars and politicians who had no airs, a young man sustained by determination beyond his age and a quiet dedication to craft—are anything but modest.