Every now and then, a book comes along that sneaks up on you and leaves a big impression. Madhav Agasti’s Stitching Stardom: For Icons, On and Offscreen is one such delight, an endearing short 100-odd-page memoir that stitches together not just a designer’s journey but a philosophy of success as well. At its heart, the book is about a tailor who became a tastemaker, and in the process, made his name in Indian cinema and the political class; but it manages to put together an entire life’s worth of lessons, failures, laughter and stardust.
Sewing Success, One Stitch at a Time
Agasti begins the book directly, modestly, delivered in first person. His story begins with a young tailor, leaving home, with a small bag and five hundred rupees, wandering through India, working for others while quietly tailoring his own dream.
In this travelogue of resilience, he moves through different cities, picks up new techniques, meets every kind of customer imaginable, deals with deceit and treachery, adapts, and learns lessons quickly. Gwalior’s refinement, Lucknow’s grace, Kolkata’s chaos — all add to the journey. There’s a moment early on where he watches his employer’s shop go up in flames during Naxal unrest, a literal and emotional turning point. Most people would have folded up their dreams and gone home. Madhav packed his measuring tape and moved to Mumbai. Sometimes life doesn’t cut you down; it just tailors you tighter for the next fitting.
Lights, Camera, Tailor!
Once in Mumbai, the struggle continues, but soon the story takes a cinematic turn. Agasti becomes the man behind the magic, designing for film stars, politicians, and icons who would go on to define eras. His friendship with Sunil Dutt is endearing. The standout experiences are when he created the legendary costume for India’s favourite villain — Mogambo. He even buys a brand-new embroidery machine just to get the villain’s gold-and-black look right. What follows is a parade of stars, quirks, and candid behind-the-scenes moments that could fill their
own movie. Yet through it all, Agasti’s tone stays charmingly grounded, almost amused by the world of glamour. He also reveals that success in show business is often as much about stitching relationships as it is about stitching clothes. His stories of entertaining colleagues and clients feel genuine and relatable, proof that hospitality, warmth and conversations often open more doors than ambition alone.
A Tailor-Made Love Story
One of the sweetest parts of the book, and my personal favourite, is how Agasti describes his wife as his ‘Laxmi’. He playfully dubs her his “tailor-made wife”. The pun is very much intended. She enters his life just as his fortunes begin to turn, bringing with her both emotional stability and divine luck. In a world full of glitter and gossip, it’s refreshing to see someone unabashedly crediting his spouse for grounding him.
Drenched in Nostalgia and Threads of Wisdom
The book is peppered with photographs, candid shots of film stars, political figures, and moments that defined an era. It’s as much a nostalgic visual journey as it is a written one. You can almost smell the old Bombay studios and hear the whirr of sewing machines in the background.
What I appreciated most was the pace. It’s brisk, engaging, enjoyable and easy to finish in a single sitting, with no unnecessary frills. Stitching Stardom is an enjoyable read for its honesty. Agasti doesn’t romanticise struggle; he respects it. His failures aren’t footnotes; they’re fabric. His victories aren’t loud; they’re worn lightly. It reminds you that success, in any field, often follows the same pattern: struggle, stumble, stitch, repeat.
(Anu is a lawyer, author and founder of YogaSmith, whose next book, Dharma Ecology of Bishnoi Warriors, is coming out soon)
