Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 18, 2016)

For Kabir Khan’s upcoming period drama Tubelight, Salman Khan has not just travelled all the way up to Ladakh and Manali but has also travelled back in time to the 1960s. And to make sure he fits into the decade perfectly, his favourite designer Ashley Rebello has got Bhai a pile of sweaters knitted by hand.

“Back then there were no machine made sweaters, so we got Salman’s sweaters hand woven by some old ladies, picking up the wool from Kashmir and nearby places up North. Getting the look right was tedious but fulfilling, the idea is to keep things as authentic as possible,” says Ashley, pointing out that keeping in mind the kind of cinema the actor is doing at the moment, as opposed to his earlier out-and-out entertainers, he is trying to ensure that his off screen look too is a little more “serious and intellectual”.

The duo have been working together for nine years, and it’s a give and take relationship with Ashley also experimenting with Sallu’s Bigg Boss look. “This season is all about celebs and the aam aadmi and the challenge for me is how to bridge that gap. So instead of giving him suits, I’ve got him some interesting jackets. Every time he takes off his jacket, he becomes a common man in a matching shirt and trousers. The jacket turns him into a stylish celeb,” informs Ashley who collaborates with his sister, Alvira Khan Agnihotri, who is clued into Salman likes and dislikes.

So what does he dislike? “Synthetic fabrics, he prefers natural fabrics with an earthy feel. Last week, I gave him military green and this week I’ll give him a red-and-grey checkered outfit. We are experimenting with colours, something we haven’t done in the past,” he asserts.