Speaking to Filmfare in an exclusive interview, he shared that Vibhu Puri, the film’s director, was deeply invested in shaping Naseeruddin Shah’s character, while he himself took the lead on the visual styling of the heroine and the film’s male lead, Vijay Varma.
He said, “Vibhu was very interested in Babba’s (Naseeruddin Shah) character. I had a bigger say in the heroine’s look. I also had a say in Vijay’s look. I wanted to dress Vijay up in pathaani salwar and pajama. The references were also very Waheeda Rehman and Nargis. Their grace and charm. I would say Waheeda Rehman from black-and-white to Guide. I wanted that dupatta-on-the-head aesthetic.”
Manish noted that his involvement wasn’t about designing every costume from scratch but rather curating a visual language that complemented the film’s romantic tone. “When I came into the costumes, it was more about curation. I don’t want to be the producer who does all the costumes,” he said. “I had a big take on Vijay’s costume look. I felt that he needed shawls in his look.”
The designer-producer also revealed that he had to intervene at one point to ensure the heroine’s romantic essence remained intact. “At one point, Vibhu was saturating Fatima’s look. I had to put my foot down and say no to that. It’s a romantic movie, so I had to stick to the theme. I wanted to ‘heroinise’ her a bit because it’s a romantic film.”
Gustaakh Ishq is gearing up to bring old-world charm to the screen. It also stars Naseeruddin Shah and Sharib Hashmi in leading roles. It is slated to hit the theatres on November 28, 2025.
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