Comeback Kid

When a leaner Bal,clad in customary black jacket,marked his first public appearance with a grungy Outlander collection in collaboration with auto giant Mitsubishi,it was obviously an emotional moment for him. “It feels amazing. This is where I belong and this is what makes me happy. It’s great to be back in good health,” he beamed,even as his family,his doctor Alok Chopra and friends hovered in the background. Bal has been out of action since WIFW in February,spending the last two months recuperating from the surgery.

Surprisingly,the fun still hasn’t got out of his life. “There was nothing that I missed out on,nothing,” insisted Bal,the erstwhile wild party boy. “Things will change for the better. It’s only in this phase that you come to know who your real friends are,” said Bal,who is in his forties. His friends present at the show,murmured their agreement. “He is looking younger and great,” cooed Tanisha Mohan,a socialite,trussed up in a Dolce and Gabbana leopard print top. Bal’s sister-in-law Anila Bal too sounded relieved: “He had been staying mostly indoors. He joined work only two weeks back,travelling to Mumbai and Hyderabad for the shoot of the Outlander collection,” she said. Bal’s elder sister Aruna Sharma,nodded in agreement.

He might lead his life in moderation now but,when it comes to work,the designer assured,he would remain as feisty as before. “My perspective of life has changed,but not my work,” he grinned. This was evident in his flamboyant collection. It wouldn’t be a Rohit Bal show if it didn’t begin with a grand theatrical bang. The runway,designed by Sumant Jaykrishnan,was a veritable garage,with a rundown Fiat on one end and greasy shutters for the opening. Models hurtled down in 48 not-so-easy to wear outfits. Padded shoulders,cinched waists,voluminous dresses,roomy trousers,a blooming circus dress,(reminiscent of friend Manish Arora’s circus collection) brought back the maverick Bal we are all familiar with. There was startingly fantastic lingerie too,sans the garter—model Tamara Moss walked down in a flimsy black net corset,with pockets sewn over the chest. “I had been working on this for the past two months,” he confessed,later.

The men’s collection walked the line between the rugged and the polished. There were skinny buttoned trousers mashed up with sleeveless leather jackets,silk embroidered jackets in bright jewel tones,interspersed with dapper suits in traditional grays and blacks. The high point of the show was model and close friend Lalit Tehlan driving down the runway in an Outlander,Bal in the backseat and an American dancer atop it in ravishing red. In his characteristic way,he took the bow with Tehlan,dancing down the runway. “Nobody can take the flashiness out of Gudda,” smiled designer Guari Karan,who was there with her newly-married sister Nainika. Indeed.