When Manish Malhotra stepped onto the stage at the trailer launch of Gustaakh Ishq, there was a quiet emotion behind his trademark elegance. Known across decades as Bollywood’s most celebrated designer, Manish has now stepped into a new creative chapter — that of a film producer.With Gustaakh Ishq marking the first production under his banner Stage 5, the film stars Vijay Varma, Fatima Sana Shaikh, and Naseeruddin Shah, and is directed by Vibhu Puri. It releases in theatres on November 21.
Speaking at the event, Manish shared how this move wasn’t sudden and it was a dream that lived in him since childhood. “Becoming a producer has been in my heart for many years. I always wanted to be a producer, director, writer — everything to do with movies. As far as I can remember, even as a five-year-old, I have just loved films endlessly.” He credited his mother for nurturing his passion instead of restraining it.“I’m grateful to my mother for never stopping me. I think I’ve been brought up inside Gaiety Galaxy. That’s been my passion from the very beginning.”That passion, he explained, is what first led him to costume design and now back to storytelling. “I got into costumes because I loved both design and films. So producing films was always there in my heart. When Vibhu narrated the story of Gustaakh Ishq, the world he created felt so beautiful, I immediately felt it was worth taking the leap as a producer.”
After years of designing for some of the biggest stars in Indian cinema, Manish decided that his next creative risk had to be behind the camera. “After working for so many years, I felt I should take a risk as a producer — and produce films that are a little different. Gustaakh Ishq is that film.” He also revealed that Stage 5, his production house, has several more films lined up. “There are many more films coming from Stage 5. We have another release next month, and another one in early 2026. Stage 5 will continue to bring different and meaningful stories to audiences.”
Manish spoke fondly about casting Vijay Varma and Fatima Sana Shaikh, sharing how both actors became obvious choices early in the creative discussions. “Once the script was ready, we had a lot of discussions about the cast. Vijay’s name came up — people said he’s such an intense actor, and I felt that intensity would make him perfect for a romantic role. We knew he’d bring depth and truth to it.” And then came Fatima’s name.“In one of our discussions, I said, ‘Why not Fatima?’ She’s petite, beautiful, and graceful — perfect for a romantic role. She’s done such strong performances before, but she hadn’t yet played the classic heroine with that dupatta, that old-world charm. She was our first choice.”
The idea of pairing them was deliberate, he said. “For us, it was very important to bring together an unusual pair. You don’t immediately imagine Vijay in a romantic role — and that’s exactly why we wanted him. When you watch the film, you’ll see how brilliant he is. He brings both modern energy and an old-world charm.”