Bollywood Fashion's First Lady
Hi!BLITZ|September 2015
Whether it was the iconic blue sari in Mr India, the salwar kameezs in Chandni or her glammed-up avatar in Roop Ki Rani Choron Ka Raja, Sridevi has always been a trailblazer with her fashion looks in films. Even today she is keenly watched and admired for her sartorial choices on the red carpet. The never-aging beauty talks to Farhad J Dadyburjor about the people who have helped in her style evolution, how she stays in such fantastic shape, and her one big fashion no-no.
Farhad J Dadyburjor
Bollywood Fashion's First Lady

As one enters the resplendent interiors of Manish Malhotra’s store in Mumbai, there is a certain frisson in the air—the crackle of excitement that the presence of an icon brings. Dressed in a regal gown, Sridevi is being intricately fussed over by Manish, as he smoothes out creases, hands over the right accessory, gives his final nod of approval before the photographer rolls. It’s a relationship of mutual trust that stretches back 25 years, with Manish having styled the clothes for her in countless films, and a friendship that endured long after. “The first time I met Sridevi, (photographer) Rakesh Shrestha had taken me to Mehboob studio where she was shooting for Pathar Ke Insan.” Sridevi smiles indulgently in the direction of this shoot’s photographer Rohan Shrestha, Rakesh’s son, who admits to having a pure fan moment on this shoot.

Manish continues, “I had just started my career then, it was around 25 years ago. Then I met her again at Rakesh’s photo-shoot with her where he gave me the reference of a brown jacket with lots of feathers around it that he wanted me to make and I went to Crawford Market to get it done. She liked that jacket so much that she asked me to make something for her in another song of hers,” fondly recalls Manish. “When I met her she was my favourite actress, already a huge star and I had loved her look in Chandni. She was always changing and evolving her style, and the last film before her marriage which we did together was Judaai. She’s quiet, she knows her craft, and I have tremendous respect for her. She carries a sari with such élan and style and also carries a gown with equal dignity and elegance, so I think if there’s one word for Sridevi’s style, it’s ‘elegance’.”

This story is from the September 2015 edition of Hi!BLITZ.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 2015 edition of Hi!BLITZ.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM HI!BLITZView All
Ranveer Singh: Bollywood's Don Quixote
Hi!BLITZ

Ranveer Singh: Bollywood's Don Quixote

In an industry falling apart financially at the seams, you sometimes need an entity like Ranveer Singh to remind you of the joyous madness of the movies and why we watch them. He’s the Don Quixote of Hindi cinema, playing out his heart, body and mind, always delivering the unexpected, keeping the audience hooked for the next act, the constantly performing artiste of our times. In this interview with Shalini Sharma the actor talks about how a career threatening health scare liberated him from fear and judgment and empowered him with the conviction that he can do anything he wants.

time-read
10 mins  |
November 2016
The Sisterhood
Hi!BLITZ

The Sisterhood

They’ve both been known for their sense of style, good looks and plenty of chutzpah. Malaika Arora Khan and Amrita Arora Ladak have through the years tried their hand at veejaying, films and are now enjoying the role of motherhood and ladies who lunch. In a freewheeling chat with Farhad J Dadyburjor, the glamorous sister-duo take a nostalgic trip down memory lane while talking about how their relationship has evolved over the years, what’s the most annoying habit of each other and the individual relationships they share with their brother-in-law.

time-read
6 mins  |
March/April 2017
Casting A Web
Hi!BLITZ

Casting A Web

She’s always ready to try something different, whether it’s in her choice of roles or venturing into the relatively new world of web series. The talented and fearless Swara Bhaskar tells Hi! Blitz why she was drawn to a story about extra-marital affairs and the one dream role she’s still hankering for.

time-read
4 mins  |
March/April 2017
being bodacious!
hi!blitz

being bodacious!

parineeti chopra has reinvented herself, in a slimmer, fitter avatar—with her extreme weight loss causing much buzz around her. in a candid tête-à-tête with farhad j dadyburjor, the actress talks about the fear that’s crept in when she gains a kilo or two, how her last two flops were a blessing in disguise, and the one guy in bollywood she’s besotted by.

time-read
7 mins  |
hi! blitz october 2016
Disha Rising
Hi!BLITZ

Disha Rising

From the small town of Bareilly to the bright lights of Bollywood, Disha Patani has fast become one of the hottest newcomers to watch for post the success of MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. Now starring opposite Jackie Chan, Bollywood’s newest ingénue tells Farhad J Dadyburjor about how life has changed, her fashion inspirations and a certain Tiger in her life.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2016
Club Med Kani, Maldives
Hi!BLITZ

Club Med Kani, Maldives

Turquoise, cyan, azure, periwinkle, pantone, ultramarine—are some of the myriad colours at the Club Med Kani, a stunning private island in Maldives. Tucked away in the heart of the Indian Ocean, the colours continue as you enter this place through the warm sun-kissed brown sand and the swaying green coconut palms that lead you to this oasis.

time-read
2 mins  |
December 2016
Top Funk Style Tips To Stand Out In The Crowd
Hi!BLITZ

Top Funk Style Tips To Stand Out In The Crowd

The incorrigible but dashing Ranveer Singh is shaking up the fashion stakes for the average Indian male. The desi homme fashion scene has not been the same since he stormed into it with shocking confidence, thumbing his nose at the fashion police doing his own thing with unabashed joy. Inspired? Ranjit Rodricks shows you some funk style tips that will make you stand out in the crowd.

time-read
3 mins  |
February 2016
Twinkle Khanna: A Novel Approach
Hi!BLITZ

Twinkle Khanna: A Novel Approach

Her widely-read newspaper columns and bestselling book Mrs Funnybones have given her a new lease of life, making Twinkle Khanna a force to contend with in the literary world. The book has gone into its ninth reprint while she gears up for her second release, a collection of short stories that centre around bruised women. Armed with much wit and candour, in a freewheeling chat with Farhad J Dadyburjor she talks about dealing with the sudden success she’s found in her forties, how she’s a lot like her dad Rajesh Khanna and the private scrapbook of family letters that will be her literary legacy.

time-read
7 mins  |
February 2016
Sonakshi Sinha: I'm  Every Woman
Hi!BLITZ

Sonakshi Sinha: I'm Every Woman

From slaying Twitter trolls to cutting a pop single, Sonakshi Sinha is making news beyond the silver screen. With two action films on the anvil that see her martial arts training put to use, the talented and always candid actress tells Farhad J Dadyburjor why she loves kicking ass (on and off screen), her schoolgirl crush on Hrithik Roshan that still continues and revelling in the power of being a woman.

time-read
7 mins  |
March 2016
Revealing family secrets: Zarine Khan
Hi!BLITZ

Revealing family secrets: Zarine Khan

Married to producer/director Sanjay Khan and mother to Sussanne Khan, Farah Khan Ali, Simone Arora and Zayed Khan, Zarine Khan has been part of the original 'Khandan' of Bollywood. As she releases her cookbook Family Secrets, she tells Hi! Blitz about being inspired by her mother-in-laws cuisine, modelling with the likes of Persis Khambatta and how Bollywood was more scandalous in the past.

time-read
4 mins  |
August 2015