As told to Nishi Tiwari (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 24, 2020)

I was assisting Anaita Shroff Adajania and we used to work a lot with Shah Rukh Khan. One of the first assignments was the song for Krazzy 4. I also worked on Ra.One. I started working with him again after going independent. It’s been an organic journey.

Shah Rukh Khan has fantastic personal style and taste in clothes. Nobody can do it the way he does. It could be his beautiful hair flopping on his face, the way he walks, the way his cargos fall on his shoes or the way he casually carries off rolled-up shirt sleeves. He makes everything effortlessly cool and doesn’t need to overdo his clothing. It’s all about simplicity with him. Moreover, his intelligence and charm become a part of the outfit.

He is always well-dressed. There are times he comes into a shoot and we are like, “Can you please not change, we love what you’re wearing.” He loves jackets and sneakers, and loves to shop, particularly in London, New York, Los Angeles and Dubai. It’s amazing to go shopping with Shah Rukh because you can buy the whole store.

Sometimes, we may have to convince him to wear something, but it’s not a difficult task; we have the most amazing team. For example, he likes dark colours, so when we want to get him to wear blue, we have to convince him. “No, no, it’s black,” we tell him. Then, he puts it on and looks really good in it.

Some of the things Shah Rukh is really comfortable with is cargos, T-shirts made out of beautiful fabric, oversized hoodies and sneakers. He really likes sunglasses and has a huge collection of everything. We frequently use stuff from his closet to mix and match. It’s fun as there are so many brands that aren’t available in India.

I believe that a man can wear anything, as long as he can carry it off. Elements like fabric, which should be of good quality and not stiff (especially collars and cuffs), should be taken into consideration. The clothes should look slightly worn in, a little aged; not brand new. For example, we spent some time customising a jacket for Zero, and made similar pieces for the whole crew. It was a double-layer jacket with a chequered shirt and a hoodie, so you could detach the jacket. It was personalised for everyone and had a lot of distressing. Most of the customising was Shah Rukh’s idea.




WHITE APPEAL: A traditional tuxedo can be boring, so we went with white. The colour looks great against Shah Rukh’s beautiful olive skin

TRAVELLING IN VOGUE: This doublelayer, detachable jacket, was customised for the film Zero. It was paired with a chequered shirt and a hoodie

SRK’S DAY OUT: I really like this outfit as he is wearing a Givenchy shirt with it. The little stars and the collar detail add an extra dimension to it. We added a light grey jacket for a day feel



GOING FOR GOLD: We added a little bit of zing to this classic look for an awards show with gold buttons and a printed cravat

DANCING WITH THE STARS: Since it was Independence Day and a fun TV show, we wanted to go for a lighter mood. We chose a pastel achkan and dressed it up with metallic buttons

As told to Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 14, 2019)

When styling a celeb I keep their personality in mind, but with Deepika there are no rules. We don’t bind ourselves to a particular style or aim to create what becomes a signature look. I’ve been working with her for so long that we now understand what the other wants without any need for discussion. I’m big on accessories and Deepika loves them too. We shop from across high-street brands and designer labels and she has no preferences. Deepika’s personal style is all about comfort from wearing what she feels confident in. If she doesn’t like an outfit, she is awkward wearing it, no matter how well put-together it is. So, we usually have random trial sessions where we bookmark looks that we like, then, pick and choose from them depending on the outing.

When she is on a flight, the outfit has to be functional yet make a style statement. Airport looks are practical with just one striking piece which elevates it without any fuss. For events, we keep it as real as possible because that’s when fans get a glimpse of who she is and we don’t want to project her as a larger-than-life person like the characters she plays on screen. But when it comes to the red carpet, we play around with colours, textures and even silhouettes. When she goes for the Cannes Film Festival, the only brief she gives us is to have fun. Deepika loves experimenting when she’s at festivals and galas.

My work is largely dependent on the hair and make-up artists because it is all about the look. So we all work in tandem with each other. We can’t make a canvas of Deepika because she is a person, but we definitely want people to look at her. Our creativity is just an extension of her.

As artists ourselves, we have to understand that what we create is up for criticism too. The brickbats don’t bother, either me or Deepika. But when someone doesn’t understand why Deepika opts for slicked-back hair with outfits, they should notice the neckline of the dress or the silhouette. We have to respect an outfit and everything has to revolve around it.

Like most of us, Deepika’s style changes according to both trends and personal evolution. Ranveer (husband Ranveer Singh) has a very distinct style of his own, but I have never been asked to plan a look for her to complement his. He has his own style and we wouldn’t want him to change, and vice versa. People point out that Deepika has become more experimental after the wedding, but that’s also because fashion trends are now leaning towards neons, volume and breaking the boundaries.


1. TAKE A BOW: We wanted to do something bigger than the pink dress she had worn at Cannes the previous year and were looking for the ‘wow’factor. With the headgear and bow, that’s what we got

2. BALANCING ACT: Pink is a fresh, playful colour but in denim, it means business. With chunky earrings and stilletos, this look was a fine balance between serious and quirky

3. DENIM DRAMA!: With legs this long, it is difficult to resist putting Deepika in a dress. This one made a statement; the frayed denims were a lot of fun

4. PIN-UP GIRL: Blue and white seems perfect for the French Riviera and look how Deepika rocks the pin-striped blazer, paired with neon stilts and glares

5. ON THE RUNWAY: A pantsuit that’s not just uber cool but also super comfy... perfect for long flights. The boots add to the overall look