My Den/Manish Malhotra

You would think that Bollywood's top designer would at least have a taste for elegant antiques, if not flashy curtains. Instead, his room in his Pali Hill residence, is sparse and simple with the bare essentials immaculately dusted and set. But then breaking trend is something that Manish Malhotra has always been good at. In fact, his move-away from the norm is the reason he is one of the most sought-after fashion designers in Bollywood. A fact that would be easy to miss but for the several awards -- sandwiched nondescriptly between CDs, books and files -- placed on his glass side table.

"I'd rather have plants and a lot of comfortable cushions than some antique collection." A decision driven by the fact that when Manish started out in the business, he used this space to work, sleep and entertain. "It's still the most comfortable corner in the whole world for me. I wish, though, I had made it a little more personal, because my office is no different from this."

But right now, every place seems likeparadise. Manish is designing for Rekha, Sridevi and Aishwarya -- all at the same time. Will they be kitted out in his trademark pastels and simple lines? Sure. For him, less is more. Particuarly when it comes to his weight. "All I need to do is shed my extra kilos."

--Sanjukta Sharma

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