Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; April 5, 2018)

Three years after they dazzled on celluloid with Tamasha, former flames Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone are teaming up again — only this time, it’s not for the big screen, but on the runway.

Come April 9, the stars will be the showstoppers for ace designer Manish Malhotra’s show, The Walk Of Mijwan, an annual fundraiser fashion show hosted by the Mijwan Welfare Society. It’s interesting to note how the duo, who split in 2009 after a two-year relationship, has continued to remain friends. The former couple even delivered a blockbuster in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani (2013).

When Padukone, a champion of women’s causes, learnt how the nonprofit organisation has played a crucial role in abolishing child marriage in Mijwan in Uttar Pradesh, she was thrilled to lend her support to the cause. “I have walked the ramp many times before, but this is truly a fashion show with a difference. Manish is attempting to bridge the urban-rural divide by taking the traditional craft of chikankari, and fashioning it into contemporary silhouettes in his signature style,” she said.

The actor added how the proceeds from the show will be used to fund the education of the girls in the village. Having made several appearances at Mijwan’s fashion shows over the years, Kapoor said, “I am happy to join hands with them. This is my way of saying —‘Be the change you wish to see in the world.’”

Malhotra made the announcement yesterday as he shared a snapshot of his “muses” Padukone and Kapoor on his Instagram handle. Spearheaded by Shabana Azmi, the show will also see two girls from the UP town, Lalima Chauhan and Renu — who studied at the Kaifi Azmi School and went on to pursue a career in teaching — narrate their success stories.