Sanjay Leela Bhansali is one of the most enigmatic and talented filmmakers in Indian cinema, and there is simply no two ways about the same. Every film of his has been no less than a masterpiece, and he has garnered immense love and appreciation for the same. For the unversed, the 61-year-old filmmaker started off his career in 1996 with his directorial debut, Khamoshi: The Musical. Thereafter, he delivered some major films at the box-office over the decades, including Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Bajirao Mastani, Padmaavat, Black and many others. Recently, Sanjay made his debut in digital platform with his first web-series, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, which was released on Netflix on May 1, 2024.
In a recent interaction with New York Times, Sanjay Leela Bhansali revealed an anecdote about his father, Navin Bhansali, who used to be a filmmaker, who never found accomplishment and success through his work. While speaking about him, Sanjay remembered a sombre moment, at the time when his father was on his death bed. Navin had requested to hear eminent singer, Reshma’s soul-stirring melody, Hayo Rabba, as his last wish. Sanjay revealed his regret, as when he finally arranged a cassette of the audio clip for his father, the latter had already slipped into coma. Recalling his mother’s words at that time, Sanjay said:
“I had no place to play Hayo Rabba, and my mother kept saying, ‘Play Hayo Rabba!’…Life is so fascinating. Can films ever capture this?”
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After such a tragic memory, Sanjay Leela Bhansali then walked down the memory lane and spoke about a fond memory about his father. The filmmaker talked about how he developed a liking for making films, and traced it back to the time when his father brought him to a film set for the first time. Adding how after his visit, he simply didn’t want to be anywhere else except film studios, Sanjay shared:
“I don’t want to be on the cricket ground, I don’t want to be in school, I don’t want to be anywhere. I want to be here. This is my place.”
Back in 2012, during a rare interview with Siasat.com, Sanjay Leela Bhansali made some candid confessions about his personal life. The then-49-year-old filmmaker had stated that he was on the lookout for a partner, and expressed how he believes there cannot be any particular age for getting married. Sanjay Leela Bhansali had further confessed that love is a feeling that can enter into a person’s life at any point of time, and so it doesn’t really have any connection with the factor of age.
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For the unversed, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has paid a special ode to his mother, Leela Bhansali by keeping her name as his middle name. While such a gesture is certainly quite unique, the filmmaker, in an old interview with Simi Garewal, had talked about the idea behind the same. In his words:
“I feel it's my way of saying thanks to the woman who has done so much for me. To be able to say thank you to a mother for any son or any daughter in this world is not enough."
What do you think about Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s revelation? Let us know.
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