Spoke to Sridevi the night she died, reveals Manish Malhotra in his tribute

Celebrity designer Manish Malhotra, who was a close friend of late Bollywood actor Sridevi, has written a long, heartfelt note for the English Vinglish star and revealed that he talked to her the night she died and they discussed her daughter Janhvi’s debut in their conversation. Manish’s note appeared in the fashion magazine, Vogue.

“This is the first time I’ve lost someone so close, and it feels surreal. I’d known her for 28 years. We were at a wedding together and then, out of nowhere, her sister Srilatha was handing me a silk sari for her funeral. I spoke to her the night she passed away. We talked about everything under the sun, from Janhvi’s film, how beautiful Khushi looked at the wedding to even what she had eaten earlier that day. Even now, so many days later, I still expect my phone to ring, and to hear her discuss an outfit or a project which we can work on together,”

He also revealed that Sridevi was never into gossip or bad-mouthing anyone. “I realise gossip never entered our conversations. We talked about clothes, food, movies—all the good things in life. She never wished ill upon anyone, or remarked upon her contemporaries.” He added that Sridevi treated commercial and art-house cinema with equal grace and respect, “it didn’t matter if it was a silly scene, a song or a path-breaking performance. If she committed to something, it deserved respect,” he said.

Now that he is designing for Sridevi’s daughter Janhvi, Manish added, “It’s funny how life comes full circle. I used to make little cholis and ghagras for the girls when they were younger. Now I’m working with Janhvi on her debut. Much like her mother, she’s a bundle of talent and discipline.”

Janhvi, who turned 21 earlier this year, is all set for her Bollywood debut with Dhadak, a Hindi remake of Marathi hit film Sairat opposite Ishaan Khatter.