'Mughal-e-Azam' costumes made with pure, rich fabrics: Manish Malhotra

Ace fashion designer Manish Malhotra, who has designed 550 costumes for artistes participating in the grand musical "Mughal E Azam", says the fabrics used for each costume are pure and rich and made with full heart and soul.

The musical, which premiered in Delhi on Friday, is based on the K. Asif directorial "Mughal E Azam" which starred thespian Dilip Kumar and ethereal beauty Madhubala.

Manish told IANS here: "I must say it again that we have done everything from the heart. There are layers of fabric, whether its been silk, kota, zardosi embroidery, brocades, bandini, velvet, everything is pure and rich in display."

"For me it was very exciting because it is the first time I was doing a period drama and for the first time I was doing a theatrical play," he added.

Describing the outfits, Manish, 51, said that a lot of aspects had to be kept in mind as the artistes have to change a lot and have no time to get ready.

"The linings used in the outfits for the artistes is much lighter. The entire thing is on velcro. Velcro had to be dyed to the colour of the outfits. because in a second you have to change. Someone is wearing a kurta inside then there is sherwani and then something else inside," said Manish.

"For girls as well... the dancer's costume for the song 'Pyaar kiya toh darna kya'... choreographer Mayuri's (Upadhya) first envisioned that all are wearing the same fabric as Akbar. So we had to make the sherwanis with velcro, with the flare so that when they remove it immediately, anarkali costumes are inside".

"There is a lot of thought in that sense. But luckily I do a lot of stage performance for the actors where I make costumes, so, that experience also helped me over here," he added.