Celebrated designer and stylist Manish Malhotra recently opened up about Fatima Sana Shaikh’s look from their upcoming film, Gustaakh Ishq - Kucch Pehle Jaisa. For Malhotra, Gustaakh Ishq marks his first cinematic production under Stage5 Production with an ambitious film that simply celebrates the magic of old-school ishq.
Recently, the debut producer revealed that Fatima’s look is inspired by the legendary actress, Waheeda Rehman, by her iconic appearances from her black and white era to Guide. He shared that director Vibhu Puri was invested in shaping Naseeruddin Shah’s character, hence, he himself took the lead with Fatima and the male lead, Vijay Varma.
"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," he shared.
He even mentioned that he had to intervene during Fatima’s look creation, stating that, “At one point, Vibhu was saturating Fatima's look. I had to put my foot down and say no to that,” and emphasised the importance of the film’s romantic theme. “I wanted to ‘heroinise’ her a bit because it's a romantic film," he shared.
Gustaakh Ishq sets an exciting new chapter for Manish Malhotra as a producer under Stage5 Production - with a film that seamlessly blends classic storytelling while embracing the future of Indian cinema. Produced alongside his brother Dinesh Malhotra, the film is directed by Vibhu Puri and it unfolds as a poignant love story of passion and unspoken desire. Starring Naseeruddin Shah, Vijay Varma, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sharib Hashmi, the film is scheduled to release in theatres on 28th November, 2025.