Veteran tailor-turned-designer Madhav Agasti has spent over 50 years stitching iconic clothes for India’s top actors, politicians and industrialists
From Mogambo’s iconic uniform to the kurtas of India’s political elite, veteran tailor-turned-designer Madhav Agasti has spent five decades shaping public image with precision. His story comes alive in Stitching Stardom: For Icons, On and Offscreen (Penguin Enterprise), with endorsements from Akshay Kumar, Paresh Rawal, Gulshan Grover and a foreword by Devendra Fadnavis.
Beyond a Memoir
He insists the book is not a simple retelling of his life. Instead, it is a reflection of India’s changing times, narrated through the lens of a tailor. “This book isn’t just my life story. It is a tapestry of India’s cultural evolution as seen through the eyes of a tailor.”
Fame, Power and Image
Having worked at the intersection of cinema and politics, he offers a rare insider’s view of how public image is built. “Most people see fame from the outside; I witnessed how it was built. Mogambo’s uniform wasn’t just fabric — it became history. Balasaheb Thackeray’s kurta and Kashmiri shawl weren’t clothes — they were identity.”
A Mosaic of Memories
The memoir stitches together defining memories and milestones that shaped his career and relationships. “It’s not a straight thread — it’s a patchwork of moments. From Sunil Dutt inaugurating my first shop in 1975 to tailoring for Farooq Abdullah at Delhi airport in 1984, each piece tells its own story.”
Bollywood Icons
Costumes, he says, go far beyond clothing — they breathe life into characters and shape cinematic history. “Mogambo was the most iconic. That high-collared uniform turned Amrish Puri into cinema’s ultimate villain. Costumes don’t just dress characters — they are the character.”
Political Clients
From Rashtrapati Bhavan to state assemblies, his work has clothed some of India’s tallest leaders. “I have tailored for Presidents Giani Zail Singh, Pranab Mukherjee, Ram Nath Kovind, Vice Presidents Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao, and leaders from Balasaheb Thackeray to Nitish Kumar. Each attire reflected their personality and power.”
Crossing Cinema & Politics
He recalls how film stars opened the door to politicians, and how tailoring became an essential tool of public life. “Clothes create characters in films and identities in politics. That’s how my career moved seamlessly from Bollywood to the corridors of power.”
Fashion, Image, and Power
For him, clothing is not mere appearance — it is a language of authority, simplicity, and charisma. “Fashion is communication. A kurta can project simplicity, a bandh gala jacket can project authority. My stitches were never just fabric — they were history in the making.”
