New Delhi: In Bollywood's eternal struggle story, here is someone who has "made it", both in the inner circles of tinsel town as well as amongst the Fashion Frat all through nip and tuck jobs.

In eight quick years, fashion designer and soon-to-be-film-director, Manish Malhotra has styled outfits for almost every leading Bollywood star, superstars Amitabh Bachchan and Rajinikanth (in Sivaji) and has even managed a brand name in the fashion industry. The latest feather in his cap is being named – consecutively now – the designer for the grand finale of Lakme Fashion Week 2007.

An early morning chat with the ever-achieving designer:

Jhoomur Bose: LIFW has chosen to call it's winter fashion statement, Free Spirit: what's your take on it?

Manish Malhotra: While there are many concepts I am playing around with, it's still too early to define my exact interpretation. However, a strong thought is the 19 th century when artistes were doing radically different stuff, something that embodies a free-spirit kind of art. The butterfly with it's symbolism could be there…but it's still too early for the final concept. And given the fact that this is the third time at LIFW for me, I want to take my time.

Jhoomur Bose:So we take the third time is a special occasion?

Manish Malhotra: Sure is! Modesty aside, I did bridge the Bollywood-fashion industry gap. When I had stepped into this industry, models did not want to be actresses and designers in general looked down upon styling for Bollywood movies. I was the only one who said styling for films was a great idea and insisted that Bollywood had a lot to offer.

Personally, I have been in the industry for the last eight years (1999 he started) and my own label is just three years old. For all that time, movies have kept throwing challenges and kept me busy. There was Rangeela, which set trends with it's sensuous yet girl-next-door outfits. Then there were Dil to Pagal Hai, Main Hoon Na… a never ending opportunity to do different work. Today, whether they agree to it or not, every mainstream designer wants to design for a Bollywood movie.

Jhoomur Bose:Why was there hesitance earlier?

Manish Malhotra: For a long time Bollywood has either been associated either grand or with kitch. Earlier you've had movies like Pakeezah, Mughal-e-Azam, the Yash Chopra movies that were made on a certain scale and had a distinct Bollywood feel. However, that perception is slowly changing. Increasingly you have films with non-filmi styling, much like Sushmita Sen's look in Main Hoon Na was not filmi.