Abhishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Saif Ali Khan and Vicky Kaushal at Manish Malhotra's Diwali bash. (Photo: Pinkvilla)
Every year, designer Manish Malhotra’s Diwali party turns his Mumbai home into Bollywood’s unofficial runway — and this year’s edition, held on the evening of November 5, lived up to the billing. Karan Johar jokingly dubbed it the “Manish Met Gala,” and honestly, the comparison fits: nearly every major star in the industry showed up dressed head-to-toe in Malhotra’s creations, turning one festive evening into the biggest fashion moment of the week.
From a rare joint appearance by Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan to Janhvi Kapoor’s show-stopping fishtail lehenga and Ananya Panday’s nostalgic throwback, here are the looks that owned the night.
Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Abhishek Bachchan: the arrival of the night
The undisputed highlight of the evening was Aishwarya Rai Bachchan arriving hand-in-hand with husband Abhishek Bachchan — a rare joint red-carpet moment for the couple, and the photographers’ favourite of the night. Aishwarya chose timeless over trendy: a vivid red saree with an ornate gold border, paired with a statement polki necklace, matching bangles and a bold red lip, her hair left open in soft waves. Abhishek kept his look understated in a black textured sherwani, letting her brighter ensemble take the spotlight. When the paparazzi asked for solo shots, the couple politely declined — they were posing together, or not at all.
Janhvi Kapoor’s feline fishtail lehenga
Janhvi Kapoor brought the most talked-about silhouette of the night: a figure-hugging, striped gold-and-black fishtail lehenga with a fitted square-neck blouse and a mermaid skirt covered in intricate gold sequin work arranged in animal-inspired patterns. She kept the styling deliberately quiet — straight hair left open, minimal jewellery, soft glam — so the outfit did all the talking. She later summed up the look herself on social media with a single caption: “GRrrrrr.”
Ananya Panday recreates a K3G classic
Ananya Panday delivered the night’s most nostalgic moment, recreating Rani Mukerji’s iconic sequinned “Say Shava Shava” look from Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. The embellished blouse and lehenga-inspired styling channelled the early-2000s Bollywood glamour of the film while keeping the presentation firmly contemporary — a reminder that for a generation raised on K3G, that particular shade of sparkle never really goes out of style.
Kareena Kapoor Khan’s gold sequin saree
Kareena Kapoor Khan arrived with Saif Ali Khan in a shimmering gold sequin saree with a matching halter-neck blouse — pure old-Hollywood glamour in a six-yard drape. Saif complemented her in a classic black kurta with white trousers. Between them, the couple offered a masterclass in how to do festive dressing as a pair: her look carried the sparkle, his carried the restraint.
Sara Ali Khan and Suhana Khan: red and regal
Sara Ali Khan leaned fully into festive colour with a richly embellished red lehenga, its detailed handwork giving the traditional silhouette a suitably celebratory weight. Suhana Khan took a more regal route in a multi-hued lehenga set — a heavily embellished golden blouse paired with a voluminous skirt in layered, colourful lace fabrics and a Banarasi dupatta, a look that drew comparisons to the old-school grandeur of Isha Ambani’s festive dressing.
The men brought the velvet
The evening’s menswear story was velvet. Vicky Kaushal chose a deep burgundy velvet kurta with intricate threadwork, while host Manish Malhotra himself wore an all-black ensemble with gold work and a black stole. Karan Johar leaned into a regal aesthetic in a dark velvet jacket with an embroidered lower half, a long stole and a layered statement neckpiece. The message from the men was clear: if the women owned sequins, the men owned texture.
Family dressing and birthday sparkle
Coordinated family looks were everywhere. Akshay Kumar, Twinkle Khanna and their son Aarav arrived in matching ivory outfits with subtle embroidery, while Madhuri Dixit turned up with her family in a mix of bright pink, pale blue and black. Khushi Kapoor — celebrating her birthday at the party — wore a purple sequined two-piece lehenga, and Disha Patani kept things minimal in a white saree, with Shanaya Kapoor choosing a black saree with a modern blouse. Nita Ambani added a fuchsia note in a pink satin sari by the designer himself.
What the night says about festive fashion
Three trends ran through the evening. First, red is still the festive colour that matters most — Aishwarya and Sara both proved it in very different ways. Second, nostalgia is a legitimate styling strategy: Ananya’s K3G recreation was one of the most photographed looks of the night. And third, the best festive dressing right now is personal rather than prescriptive — lehengas, sarees, velvet jackets and coordinated family outfits all shared the same room, and no single silhouette dominated. Manish Malhotra’s annual gathering remains the one night of the year when Bollywood dresses entirely in one designer’s vision — and this year, that vision had room for everybody.
