INSIDE Manish Malhotra's "I am done with her" text blunder & the actress who handled it with grace

When Manish Malhotra speaks, the industry listens. The designer who has dressed generations of stars, from Karisma Kapoor and Kajol to Alia Bhatt and Janhvi Kapoor, recently joined Kajol and Twinkle Khanna on the latest episode of Two Much. With Sonakshi Sinha as his co-guest, the mood was breezy and nostalgic until Manish dropped a confession that instantly became the talk of the episode: the time he accidentally texted an actress saying he was “done with her.” And as it turns out, that actress was none other than Priyanka Chopra.

The Text That Went to the Wrong Person

During a playful segment, Twinkle asked Manish if it was true that he once sent a message meant for someone else directly to the actress it was about. Manish admitted, laughing, “This happened once in my life. I had written to my nephew Puneet Malhotra saying, ‘Last day on the set. Done with this film and done with her.’ But I sent it by mistake to that very actress.”

He didn’t reveal the name on the show, but fans quickly connected the dots. Years ago, Priyanka Chopra’s mother, Dr. Madhu Chopra, had shared this exact story in an interview. Back then, Manish was working on Dostana, the stylish rom-com produced by Karan Johar, starring Priyanka, John Abraham, and Abhishek Bachchan.

Madhu had revealed that it was actually Karan who had messaged Manish jokingly, saying something along the lines of, “Come to Film City, it’s the last day, you’ll get rid of her.” Manish replied, “Thank God it’s my last day with her,” but accidentally sent the message straight to Priyanka instead of Karan.

The Aftermath

According to Madhu, Priyanka was heartbroken and broke down in tears when she read the text. Karan quickly messaged Manish asking, “What did you do? She’s crying on set!” Realising his blunder, Manish was mortified. Priyanka eventually confronted him, asking gently, “What have I done?” But in true Priyanka fashion, she chose grace over bitterness. Madhu Chopra had said that instead of letting it turn into bad blood, Priyanka handled it so maturely that they ended up becoming even closer friends after the awkward incident.

On Two Much, Manish echoed that sentiment. “She was very gracious and very good about it. So it was all cleared,” he said with a smile, perhaps still slightly embarrassed, but clearly fond of how it all turned out.

“She was very gracious and very good about it. So it was all cleared."

- Manish Malhotra

Camps, Friendships, and Feeling Misunderstood by SLB

The conversation then moved to the designer’s long journey in Bollywood, where he has worked across decades, styles, and generations. Manish spoke candidly about how he has always felt closer to the worlds created by Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra, and how that unintentionally distanced him from filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

He admitted that while he deeply respects Bhansali’s artistry, they were never particularly close. He was more close to Karan, Adi and was a part of that camp.

The Designer Who Redefined Bollywood Glamour

From the ’90s chiffon saris that defined Yash Raj heroines to the sleek, contemporary silhouettes of today, Manish has shaped the way Indian cinema looks. On Two Much, he also recalled a hilarious early moment from a film set: “It was a funeral scene, and I was told, ‘Make her a white salwar kameez, but she should look hot.’ I didn’t question it because I didn’t want people to think I didn’t know my job. So I made a fitted, almost tearing salwar kameez,” he laughed.

As the episode wrapped, what stood out wasn’t just the gossip or nostalgia, but how Manish Malhotra continues to hold his place, not just as Bollywood’s most celebrated designer, but as someone who’s seen it all, survived awkward moments with grace, and still speaks about it with warmth and laughter.

What do you think about this anecdote shared by Manish Malhotra and his bond with Priyanka Chopra?