Iconic fashion designer, Rohit Bal died at the age of 63, and the entire fashion industry is at a standstill. Here's everything you need to know about him and his personal life.
Rohit Bal was born on May 8, 1961, in Srinagar, and unfortunately, on November 1, 2024, he passed away due to a severe prolonged illness related to his heart. The news of his untimely demise came as a massive shock to the Indian fashion industry. According to multiple reports, Rohit Bal had a long history of heart problems. Back in 2010, he underwent angioplasty, and in 2023, the ace fashion designer was hospitalised to the Medanta hospital.
According to a report in NDTV, Rohit Bal was admitted to the ICU weeks before his last event. However, he was shortly admitted to the Aashlok Hospital again in Delhi on 30 October, 2024, but despite doctors' best efforts, he could not survive and passed away on November 1, 2024. When people in different parts of the country were celebrating the festival of lights, Deepawali, the Indian fashion industry lost its star, Rohit Bal. As per a report in NDTV, Rohit Bal passed away due to a cardiac arrest.
As soon as the news of Rohit Bal's demise became public, several celebrities and renowned designers started pouring their tributes on social media. The Fashion Design Council of India (FDCI) mourned the loss of the legendary designer and shared that Rohit Bal's work redefined Indian fashion and will continue to inspire generations. Not only this, FDCI also added that Bal's legacy will continue to shine in the fashion world for some time.
Rohit Bal had no connections in the fashion industry, but despite that, he left the stage with a successful career that is unmeasurable. Rohit completed his schooling at Woodlands House and Burn Hall School in Srinagar. Due to controversial events in Jammu and Kashmir, Rohit Bal's family was forced to leave their homes and settle in Delhi. After coming to Delhi, Rohit finished his schooling at Delhi Public School. For graduation, he took admission to St. Stephens College, where he studied history. Rohit Bal studied fashion designing at the National Insitute of Fashion Technology.
Rohit Bal started his career as a fashion designer with his brother, Rajiv Bal back in 1986 when they started their company, Orchid Overseas Private Limited. After some success in the following years, he opened his individual collection in 1990. Soon, his work caught the attention of Khadi Gram Udyog, and Rohit Bal started working with them. In the following years, Bal designed clothes for Amitabh Bachchan's Kaun Banega Crorepati and was partnered with Biba Apparels. Not only this, he also worked with a series of well-known celebrities and international clients like Cindy Crawford, Pamela Anderson, Uma Thurman, and many more.
Rohit Bal got the nickname, 'Gudda' from his close friends in the fashion industry, courtesy of his fun-loving nature and kind-hearted character. Back in 2006, Rohit Bal won the prestigious Designer of the Year award at the Indian Fashion Awards 2006. In 2001, he won the Designer of the Year award at the Kingfisher Fashion Achievement Awards. Not only this but in 2020, Rohit Bal was recognised as the country's Iconic Fashion Designer by the Rajinigandha Pearls India Fashion Awards. Gudda was hands-down one of the greatest fashion designers ever in India's fashion industry.
Despite being a mammoth name in India's fashion industry, Rohit Bal always kept his personal life under wraps for a long period of time. However, back in September 2008, he publicly announced that he was gay. According to a report in Zee News India, in an old interview, Rohit Bal confirmed that he was in love with someone and revealed the person's name in the media. The late fashion designer was dating a male model named Lalit Tehlan. Sharing details of his love story, Rohit added that it was a love-at-first-sight moment for him and said, "Jab pyar kia toh darna kya".
According to a report in Times Now News, Rohit Bal and Lalit Tehlan were live-in partners, and the latter reportedly isolated the ace designer from his close friends and relatives. Rohit and Lalit dated each other for some time, and their open relationship remained the talk of the town back then. However, everyone got to know about Rohit and Lalit's breakup when the latter tied the knot with Manizhe Karimi in Delhi in 2011.
It was back in 2023 when Rohit Bal's close friend, Rohit Gandhi accused Lalit Tehlan of deteriorating the designer's health. Not only this, Rohit Gandhi also added that Lalit had slowly poisoned Bal when they were in a relationship. After hearing these statements, Lalit reportedly threatened Rohit, and the latter filed a police complaint against him. In an old interview with the Hindustan Times, Rohit Gandhi revealed that Lalit had given him death threats. He said:
"Yes, we informed everyone that Lalit was responsible for Gudda's health, and this made Lalit angry, and he started sending me death threats from unknown numbers. That's when I went to the cops. The calls have stopped now, so I will not pursue the complaint."
Talking about Rohit Bal's ex-boyfriend, Lalit Tehlan, the latter is a professional model, who has been working in the fashion industry for some time now. Over the years, Lalit has appeared in a series of renowned fashion shows in India and overseas. According to multiple reports, Bal discovered Lalit, when the latter was just 17 years old. After being friends for some years, they soon fell in love with each other and dated but eventually parted ways. There's no denying the fact that Rohit Bal will continue to serve as a benchmark for the entire fashion industry.
What are your thoughts on Rohit Bal's illustrious career and relationship with Lalit Tehlan? Let us know.
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