Filmmaker Karishma Kohli and actor Mikhail Yawalkar traded wedding rituals for a full-blown party at an ice factory

20 April 2025

House on the Clouds

Kohli married Punjabi-Maharashtrian actor, Mikhail Yawalkar, but the couple ditched their own cultural traditions for a ceremony that felt meaningful and age-appropriate

Karishma Kohli hated Disney movies growing up because she couldn’t wrap her head around the idea of a prince coming on a horse to save her. Later, her love for the movies grew and the image of Julia Roberts wearing a wedding gown and riding a horse in Runaway Bride resonated strongly with her. That’s the look she wanted at her own wedding.

“I’m Sikh but ever since I can remember I visualised myself in a white gown and not a red lehenga for my wedding,” she said. “When I was younger, the version of my dream gown was very different. But when I got my first patch of vitiligo, it changed.”

Kohli had just turned 30, and was shooting ads in New York City when she woke up one day to see vitiligo on her lip and chest. For the next decade, the filmmaker tried every conceivable treatment against this autoimmune condition, from painful stem-cell treatments to restrictive naturopathy diets, and was also on steroids for almost a decade. Then something happened that made her stop taking steroids and just accept her brown-and-white patterned skin with all its imperfections. During the pandemic, her mom was diagnosed with cancer, and one of the medicines prescribed to her was the same one Kohli had been given to arrest the spread of vitiligo. She was shocked and decided to stop taking it and work towards loving her skin.

The meet cute

After her mom passed away early in the pandemic, Kohli was hunkering down in Goa during the 2020 lockdown. A friend insisted that she meet Mikhail even though she was in a very vulnerable place and not looking for a relationship. They all met for dinner, and two days later, Mikhail mustered up the courage to ask her out for a coffee. The rest is history, and Mikhail proposed to Karishma in November 2024 when the couple flew to Bangkok to attend the concert of their favourite French band, AIR.

“I've seen her body change, and I've had the closest perspective, if I may say that,” he said. “It was eye-opening for me but once you're exposed to it, you realise it's more common than you think. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would marry someone with vitiligo, but I would not have it any other way. For me, Karishma is Karishma because of her vitiligo. I think it adds to her beauty, and she pulls it off like no other. She owns it.”

“It certainly helps to see myself as beautiful when I have a partner who finds me and my skin sexy,” she admits. “When it first started, I tried so hard to suppress it and to hide it from the world. I stopped wearing open shoes or sleeveless clothes and had so many side effects from the steroids. It’s been a long road to becoming comfortable in this new skin–literally! When it came to choosing a wedding gown, though, I wanted something that would work with this autoimmune condition and also feel right for my emotions and visuals.”

Saying yes to the dress

Karishma went down a rabbit hole and did a lot of research but eventually, she discovered the bridal wear brand, Karleo, in her home city, Mumbai. She fell in love with Karan and Leon instantly and explained her situation: she had had vitiligo for a decade, and while she didn’t want to hide it completely, she also didn't want to show it completely. Yet she wanted a gown that would complement her body, flaunt her shape, and had a very specific idea for the kind of lace to be used.

The duo delivered. They crafted an ivory gown that was simple, elegant, and very glamorous at the same time. They merged a fit and flare shape with a trumpet gown, added an exaggerated godet insert, kept the bottom unlined, and gave the dress a deep back. They chose a darker ivory shade since it brought more depth and suited her skin tone better. For the sleeves, they used digital imagery to hand-draw the artwork so that the placement of the hand-appliqued lace would go well with patches on her skin. The fabric was crafted by weaving the lace into the illusion Italian tulle so that it not only looked seamless but, most importantly, felt extremely soft on the bride’s skin. It took a total of 500 hours just to embroider the masterpiece.

The community wedding

The couple chose IFBE as their wedding venue, an erstwhile ice factory that is now a mixed-use space that hosts concerts and art exhibitions. The space is built around a 150-year-old Banyan tree, and the minute the couple laid eyes on it, they knew that was where they were going to get married. On D-Day, they ditched their respective religious rituals and did a simple signing before a very intimate group in the dining room overlooking the Banyan tree. They signed, exchanged personally-written vows, cut a cake and then popped open some bubbly, and there was not a dry eye in sight. This was followed by a party with a bigger crowd.

The couple didn’t hire a wedding planner but they have a strong community of friends who stepped in to help. Karishma worked with her production designer Aparna Sud, on the decor and the flowers were done by Mikhail’s aunt, Bharti Gulrajani, who specializes in floral artistry. The chef at IFBE turned out to be Mikhail’s classmate from school who went all out for their special day. The three-tier wedding cake was organised by Karishma's friend, Ashi Dua. The invitation cards were illustrated and designed by another friend, Mini Mathur and her family. The photography was done by the well-known House on the Clouds studio, and this was a gift from her friend, Katrina Kaif. Instead of hiring round tables, they built extra-long community tables so that the bride and groom’s side could get to know each other and the celebration would feel intimate to their guests.