It’s that time of the year again. The Pride Month is here and conversations about inclusivity are being reiterated with many LGBTQIA+ allies coming to the fore and expressing their solidarity towards the community that has been long fighting in the shadows. Allies are known to be critical and powerful voices for the queer community, and celebrity costume designer and stylist Rick Roy, who’s known for his avant-garde creations, agrees.
In an exclusive chat with News18 Showsha, he reveals that had it not been for Malaika Arora, he wouldn’t have reached where he’s today. He might have styled Malaika for Dabangg and Housefull but his camaraderie with her has transcended professional boundaries. “Oh my god, Malla’s an ally and how! She’s extremely queer friendly. Gay men love glamorous women and I would say that she’s quite the gay icon. I don’t know a single gay man who doesn’t want to be like her (laughs)!” he says.
Not just the ‘Munni Badnaam Hui’ star but her sister Amrita Arora Ladak is also ‘a huge support system’ for him. “If not for her and her family’s support, inspiration, love, care and nurturing, I wouldn’t have been here. She and Ammu are allies to another level. Even their mum, Joyce aunty, is so supportive. Ammu might not be out there in the media so much but she’s a fierce ally too. I can’t even explain what she has been to me. Their extreme allegiance has been lying for this cause for very many years.”
So, how would he describe his bond with Malaika? “Malla, to me, is a friend, philosopher, guide, mentor, mother and sister put together. She’s a very dear friend of mine. I started as her protégé. After 23 years of knowing each other, we’re altogether something else today. She was first my teacher. She’s very, very important to me,” remarks Rick, who has also styled Vidya Balan, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Emraan Hashmi.
Rick, who recently made his acting debut with Dil Dosti Dilemma, adds, “I came to Mumbai when I was 17 years old. I came here alone and didn’t have my family with me. Malla has been a very strong influence on me. Even today, if there’s something I need guidance on, I know that I can just pick up the phone on Malla and ask her for advice and she’ll always tell me the right thing to do. She’s just phenomenal!”
While Rick is manifesting a ‘kinder’ world for queer people this Pride Month, he lauds the Indian film and fashion industries for being inclusive. Addressing the notion of why they’ve more gay people than others, he elaborates, “Filmmaking and designing are art forms. Since most gay people are artistic by nature, we tend to work here. And I feel that people who do art are slightly more evolved than those who aren’t artists. They understand that one person might be sleeping with another but that makes no difference to who he is. Our industry makes one more receptive towards queer people and see them for who they are.”
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