Manish Malhotra celebrated his 50th birthday at a star-studded soirée yesterday. Designed and curated by Manish himself and hosted by his dear friend, ​​Karan Johar, Manish’s closest friends and Mumbai’s crème de la crème joined in the fun.

Guests including Shah​ ​Rukh Khan, Katrina Kaif, Sonam Kapoor, Saif Ali Khan & Kareena Kapoor Khan, ​Karisma Kapoor, Aishwarya &​ Abhishek Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Varun Dhawan, Siddharth Malhotra, Akshay Kumar & Twinkle Khanna, Mukesh and Nita Ambani, Sridevi, Anushka Sharma, Farhan Akhtar, Jacqueline Fernandez​,​​ ​Parineeti Chopra, Shraddha Kapoor and Shilpa Shetty​ to name a few attended the ‘Gold and Glamorous’-themed party.

Speaking on the occasion, Manish said, “I am so happy that I am able to spend this ‘milestone’ birthday with my closest friends and family. Each person in this room has been a part of my personal and professional journeys and I am grateful for having them in my life. I had a great time planning my big day with Karan. He is my best friend, a brilliant colleague and needless to say, this evening is the best gift I could have received.”

Expressing his excitement, Karan Johar said, “Manish and I go a long way. I think we invented the ‘friends like family’ concept long before it became a hash-tag! Needless to say, it was a lot of fun working with Manish to put together his 50th birthday.”

The Ballroom at Taj Land’s End was transformed into a decadent Gatsby-esque setting. Known for his love for all things old-world, the soirée recreated an opulent dining room accented with vintage objets d’art in varied hues of gold. The menu, designed personally by Manish, was an elaborate feast and shared flavours from across the world with the guests. From slow-cooked biryanis prepared in the Awadhi style to flavourful delicacies with truffle mushrooms especially flown in from Italy – the meal was laid out in a tableau reminiscent of royal hospitality.

Sprays of fragrant white roses and tulips made for elegant installations across the room.

In contrast to the ambience, the up-tempo playlist by DJ Clement had the guests dancing the night away. Dapper bartenders, styled by Manish, worked the 54-foot long gold-gilded bar, as they served guests chilled crystal flutes of champagne.