Manish Malhotra steps back from 'Meena Kumari biopic', says ‘I’ll direct something else’

Manish Malhotra, a renowned fashion designer, has announced his decision to not pursue a biopic.
Despite the speculation, Malhotra remains committed to his aspiration of making a film.
Kriti Sanon, known for "Do Patti," was finalized to play Meena Kumari's central role.

Manish Malhotra, one of the most prominent fashion designers in the country, has long been admired by the Hindi film industry for his outfits. He initially decided to step into filmmaking with a biopic on veteran actress Meena Kumari. However, he recently announced that he would not proceed with the project and would instead look for another story to take on as a director.

In a recent conversation with “Mid-Day”, Manish Malhotra confirmed the speculation that the highly awaited Meena Kumari biopic has been shelved. However, the designer, who has had a significant impact on costume designing in Bollywood, remains committed to his aspiration of making a film and plans to find another subject for it.

He said, "I'm no longer doing the biopic. I'll direct something else. Directing is one dream that remains unfulfilled."

In addition, the fashion designer spoke at length about his passion for filmmaking, admitting that not every fashion designer has a natural sense for film. However, for him, filmmaking was a major part of his childhood. He grew up watching classics that influenced him, and he has been keenly working to learn more about it.

In his words, "Watching classics like Mughal-e-Azam and the works of Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt deeply influenced me. I'm steeped in films, and that's why I understand how it works."

Earlier, “Mid-Day” reported that Kriti Sanon, known for “Do Patti”, had been finalized to play the central role of Meena Kumari. Before Malhotra's confirmation, the film faced several delays since 2023. However, the team had been preparing to recreate every nuance of the costumes and sets from Meena Kumari's films of the 60s and 70s.

Moreover, the legendary actress’s husband, Kamal Amrohi’s grandson, Bilal Amrohi, had suggested the plan to make a biopic on Meena Kumari, known as 'The Tragedy Queen' in Hindi cinema, with a production house. However, no further announcements have been made about it.

In addition to direction, Manish has already ventured into film production. His recent film, “Saali Mohabbat”, starring Tisca Chopra, Radhika Apte, Divyenndu, and Anurag Kashyap, premiered at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI).

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