I wear black so no one knows if i’ve repeated an outfit

Shweta Shiware and photographer Shadab Khan catch Shahrukh Khan backstage for an exclusive chat before he takes the ramp at Lakmé Fashion Week.

Whoever thinks fashion is frivolous, surviving on air kisses and pink bubbly, should have dropped in at the rehearsal for Bollywood designer Manish Malhotra’s Knight Riders show at Lakmé Fashion Week, where anxiety and tempers ran amok.

Just then actress Preity Zinta steps in with NY hotelier Vikram Chatwal, the first celeb attendees to arrive followed by Kareena, Amisha Patel, Celina Jaitley, Genelia, D’Souza, Isha Koppikar and Kajol. “It’s only at my shows that front row celebs arrive before anyone else,” quips Manish, before springing towards Kareena to give her a hug.

“Shahrukh came up with the idea of a Knight Riders show. It made sense since black and gold were big last year. You can’t escape glam; a sport like cricket too has acquired a glam status. It’s nice to take fashion to the masses, don’t you think?” Manish asks before disappearing backstage.

In those dark recesses, glamour and politeness go for a toss in a mad rush to change outfits. “Your laces are mismatched,” Manish screams to his assistant, wiping off the frown in time to greet actor Arjun Rampal and wife Mehr, who’ve made a last minute decision to attend.

A sharp contrast to the storm brewing backstage, Shahrukh Khan arrives looking eerily composed, a cigarette keeping him company while he scans LCD screens to soak in the madness outside. The crew whispers he’s here, before he heads to a plush lounge.

“Boys, believe in yourself,” the crew-in-charge peps the rest when the Knight Riders anthem thunders and models take a last look in the mirror.

At the fag end of the show, Manish is a less anxious man. He takes a deep breath, adjusts his hair, waiting to be called to take a bow with SRK. The crew has their eyes glued on the LCD, pretty much like they would if India played a rival on a cricket pitch. And when the designer and his muse stand before the photographers’ pit, the cheering backstage takes a deafening turn. It’s over. Phew!

SRK talks fashion

Who is your favourite designer?
Karan (Johar), Anaita (Adajania)… (We interrupt to tell him they are stylists, not designers). What’s the difference, Manish (he turns to Manish Malhotra)? But then Manish only designs for pretty actresses.

How long did you take to dress up for the Golden Globes?
Two minutes. I always wear black. It’s easier since no one can tell if I am repeating a garment.

Being a favourite with fashion designers, has any designer hit on you?
Naresh from Masculine is my oldest friend, who I have worked with when no one did. There’s Shabina (Khan), Manish (Malhotra), but (takes a long pause) nobody has ever hit on me. Neither men or women. I don’t get hit on, I just dish out hits.

Through your films you’ve set fashion trends that are emulated by fans. How do you feel about that?
I wear clothes to cover my body. Comfort is important, that’s why you will always find me in jeans and tees. My children don’t like me wearing shirt and trousers (smiles).

Off late you have been sporting a Kaffeyah, a favourite with Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Do you consider the religious connotations of a garment?
Karan (Johar) picked a couple of them for me from Belgian designer Martin Margiela and said, “Bhai, you should wear it.” That’s when I began sporting them. Before it became a fashion statement, I used it as a sling after my surgery. I have asked Manish to design some along the Knight Riders theme.

For me, there are no political or religious sentiments. It’s the Shahrukh Khan sentiment. It’s about love. I wear trousers. Tonight I am wearing a Bengali-style dhoti for the show. Fashion should never be a creation of religion or politics.