26 August,2025 12:03 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
A still from Gustaakh Ishq
Manish Malhotra has always carried cinema within him. The grandeur, the spectacle, the moods and moments that first stirred his imagination. Long before fashion turned him into a household name, it was the silver screen that shaped his vision. Now, with his maiden theatrical production Gustaakh Ishq releasing in November 2025, he steps into film production under his own banner, Stage5 Production. Set in the bylanes of Purani Dilli and the fading kothis of Punjab, Gustaakh Ishq is a love story of passion and unspoken desire, drawing from a world where architecture holds memory and music carries longing.
The film is directed by Vibhu Puri and brings together creative geniuses -- music by Vishal Bhardwaj, lyrics by Gulzar, sound by Resul Pookutty and cinematography by Manush Nandan. At its heart lies an ensemble whose range define contemporary Bollywood -- from veteran Naseeruddin Shah to the deft Vijay Varma, Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sharib Hashmi.
Speaking about his foray as a producer, Malhotra says, "My love for cinema began in childhood. The silver screen was my doorway to the world.. watching colours, clothes, music, and lifestyles unfold in cinema halls shaped my imagination and inspired me to become a designer. Today, stepping into film production feels like my way of giving back to the medium that has given me everything. With Stage5 Production, the journey ahead is about embracing the unexpected ; through stories, genres, and films that continue to surprise and inspire."
Produced with his brother Dinesh Malhotra, under his company Stage5 Production, Gustaakh Ishq marks a new chapter for Manish Malhotra one that looks back at the magic of classic storytelling while stepping into the future of Indian cinema.
In theatres, November 2025 and we can't wait to see a story that soothes our hearts.
Earlier, Fatima Sana Shaikh had shared a picture with the cast and wrote, 'trapped in a matrix'. She had posed with her co-star Vijay Varma and the designer Manish Malhotra in the picture. Earlier in March, during Lakme Fashion Week, Vijay Varma, while speaking to ANI, talked about his upcoming film and shared, "I'm very excited about the upcoming Ul Jalool Ishq... it's a very exciting, very simple, lovely, beautiful, and rich love story."
