‘I really feel extra fulfilled and full right now than I did once I was 40.’
IMAGE: Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali noticed at his workplace in Juhu, north west Mumbai. Photograph: ANI Photo
My pricey good friend Sanjay Bhansali turns 60 quietly right now, February 24, 2024. No celebrations are deliberate.
“What is there to have fun?
“During childhood my sister and I had no birthday events.
“We would take a packet of sweets to highschool and distribute it to our class-mates. That was it.
“We by no means had birthday events. Nor had been we allowed to go to events.
“Now it has develop into a behavior to be by myself on my birthday. And I’m a really completely happy that means.
“On my fiftieth birthday my sister Bela organized a shock social gathering.
“Everyone who mattered was there, except Lataji. She called to wish me and gave away the ‘surprise party’ that was planned for me. I was deeply moved.”
As for this birthday, “I am just happy that my mother is in good health. Spending time with her is the best possible gift for me. And I wish you were here. You are the only friend I have.”
IMAGE: Rani Mukerji as Michelle McNally in Black.
There is an unlimited distinction between what he was on his fiftieth birthday and what he’s now at 60. He now not feels the necessity to show that he’s not the eccentric recluse that he’s recognized to be.
Stars he was working in would drop in unannounced at any time when they wished, keep over for a meal, chatter to glory.
The actors Sanjay works with are actually entertained on the units solely.
On the day after Black had launched I used to be with him at his dwelling. The boxoffice stories had been encouraging. Rani Mukerji dropped in. She was jubilant and never the least embarrassed to indicate it. She bought on prime of a desk and danced.
Aditya Pancholi who had additionally dropped in to congratulate Sanjay was shocked. Pancholi isn’t simple to shock.
Two years later I used to be once more with Sanjay on the day after the discharge of Saawariya. There was not single particular person at his dwelling. It was like a home in mourning. That is how Guru Dutt’s dwelling will need to have been on the day after the discharge of Kagaz Ke Phool.
That is when Sanjay turned conscious of the futility of work-related friendships: they start and finish on the units. Since then, birthdays and different events have develop into insulated for Sanjay.
IMAGE: Ranbir Kapoor as Ranbir Raj Malhotra and Sonam Kapoor as Sakina Khan in Saawariya.
Saawariya at the present time stays Sanjay’s personal favorite movie.
“A Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam or a Devdas might be made once more. But Saawariya can by no means be made once more.
“It’s my rarest work when it comes to remedy.
“It had stunning performances and visuals.
“I attempted to place a stage-play on movie.
“Of course on the finish of the day the viewers decides what it likes.
“But in this case the audience was conditioned not to like Saawariya.”
IMAGE: Shah Rukh Khan as Devdas Mukherjee and Madhuri Dixit as Chandramukhi in Devdas.
Why are ache and struggling such an integral a part of Bhansali’s universe?
“I really feel struggling and ache are an necessary a part of each human being’s life. And I do not simply deal with the query of ache, I additionally how my heroes overcoming that ache.
“In Devdas the protagonist’s life resulted in tragedy. But he remained consumed by love and mentioned sure to the ache that accompanied his ardour for love.
“Rani in Black, Ajay Devgn in Hum…Dil De Chuke Sanam or Hrithik Roshan in Guzaarish overcome their suffering and come to terms with it.”
IMAGE: Deepika Padukone as Padmavati and Shahid Kapoor as Ratan Singh in Padmaavat.
Film-making is Sanjay’s solely ardour.
“Making motion pictures is all I take into consideration.
“Cinema is all I dwell for.
“After the exhausting work that I put in I really feel blessed when it is appreciated.
“In so some ways I felt blessed once we took Devdas to Cannes. In some ways it familiarised the Western world to the Bollywood formulation.
“Then got here the opera Padmavati which I did in Paris. It was one in all my most superb moments as an artiste.
“All that is extremely motivating for me.
“The disapproval can also be necessary to me.
“Love, hate, contempt, affection… It all provides as much as make an entire life.
“Every response is necessary to me.
“There is a sure model I’ve of placing the story throughout.
“Many like it, others don’t.”
Sanjay would not really feel the burden of his years.
“I really feel I’m at that stage of my life when all my exhausting work, all of the information and experiences that I’ve gathered over time have come to fruition.
“I feel more fulfilled and complete today than I did when I was 40.”
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com
