iNTERVIEW

Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Salman Khan

Alia Bhatt

Sahir Ludhianvi

, FilmmakerSanjay Leela Bhansali on a 20-year reunion with, first impression of, and how his next is a departure from his past ‘dark, intense’ films.Sanjay Leela Bhansali is not in the mood for an interview. “What’s there to talk about?” he argues, a few hours after Salman Khan and Alia Bhatt have confirmed that they are doing his next, a casting coup that will be talked about for months. He relents, eventually, and settles in to field questions:It was a beautiful, breezy evening. We were sitting in the lawn of his home, and as soon as the narration ended, Salman turned to me, saying, “When do we start?” It took me back to my two-and-a-half-hour narration of Khamoshi: The Musical. We were in his bedroom then and he kept looking at himself in the mirror. I was wondering if he’d even heard me, but when I finished, he told me exactly what he’d liked in the story, making me realise that he is very sharp, and one shouldn’t presume anything with him.We’ve had a few issues in the past but whenever we met, even sporadically, we took up from where we’d left off without dwelling on the past and the difference of opinions we might have had. My fondness for him is pure, and Salman, once he offers his friendship, even if you don’t meet or talk in five years, he’s there waiting for you. He’s never told me that he’s liked a shot, a song or a film I’ve made, but has expressed his appreciation for my work to others when he didn’t need to.Oh yes, today he’s a mega-star, totally inaccessible, with the cult status of Rajinikanth sir, yet deep down he’s still a simple guy with a pure heart and a noble soul. After Khamoshi, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Saawariya, he and I needed to make one film together, if not 10 more. I’m glad Inshallah happened. From my understanding of him, as a man, an actor and a superstar, I know this is the right film for us to come together. I’ve been working on it for the last year-and-a-half, starting three months before Padmaavat released, to take my mind off things that were happening at the time. I wrote and reworked till I felt it was ready, then, went to him. It’s my 10th film, I want it to be my best.It’s a younger film, the kind I’ve wanted to make for a long time after all the dark, intense, over dramatic ones. Life is not only about dark nights, it’s also about beautiful, sunshiny mornings. It’s a new chapter for me as a filmmaker.Alia is an extremely young actress with a lot of magic. She fits the role beautifully. When she was nine, she’d come with her mother (Soni Razdan) to audition for Black. I saw the sparkle in her eyes. I told Soni I wouldn’t audition her for a child’s role because I knew she was a Hindi film heroine. Later, I went to Soni and Mahesh (Bhatt) and told them I wanted their girl, but that project didn’t happen. Inshallah, this one will be a beautiful journey.Mahaveer ji came to me with this important film which needs to be made, not to court controversies but to document history. None of us are treating it as a project, and for me, it will be interesting to see what I can bring to the table as a producer and a presenter since I have not made a film on our army or on current politics.I’ll make it happen. Sahir saab was one of our most talented poet lyricists, his verses are still inspiring. To bring them back through his love story will be beautiful but also a huge responsibility. It’s a difficult film for the writer-director (Jasmeet Reen) too so I don’t want to be in a hurry but give it the darza it deserves.I love the story, it’s been with me for long and I’m keen to make the film. Priyanka and I are in talks.They are special and have collaborated with me on three difficult films— Goliyon Ki Raasleela... Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat—which were epics really, in a way that I’ve never wished to change a single shot. I’d love to work with them again at the right time.Despite three of them being star kids, they are all so talented and well-behaved, without a hint of arrogance. So much like Ranbir (Kapoor) and Sonam (Kapoor) who were just as hardworking and grounded. There is already so much pressure on them, so I don’t add to it by telling them they have to match up to their parents or go beyond. I’ve given them a lot and have received a lot from them in return. I know they will be big players in the future. For now, it’s a joy to see them evolve.Oh, I am so much better today. My first film didn’t do well and Sawaariya and Padmaavat were riddled by controversy, but I have got a lot of love from both the audience and the critics. My films have worked at the box-office and been celebrated at award shows and that’s taken away the initial anxiety of whether I would be seen, heard and accepted as a filmmaker. Also, working with different actors has made me all steel and iron, I don’t let anyone tell me how to make films, I tell my stories the way I want to tell them. And the hunger I was born with, the quest for excellence, still drives me to put in 10-12 hours at work every day.