Bhansali’s latest venture is Heeramandi.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali broke silence about his image of a hard taskmaster on the sets.
In a recent interview, Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali opened up about his well-known temper, stating that he doesn’t see any issue with expressing anger. Sharing instances of losing his cool on set with his team, Bhansali described himself as becoming ‘possessed and obsessed’ whenever he works in Mumbai’s Film City, expecting a similar dedication from his collaborators. Emphasizing his deep passion for his craft, he mentioned operating on a different level. Notably, Bhansali made his streaming debut with the Netflix series ‘Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar’.
He told India Today, “I am there one hour, two hours before shoot every day. Even today, after 30 years, I will never be late on set. The commitment that I bring, an actor has to be on the same page, my technicians have to be on the same page. I’m giving everything, so you can’t be on the phone. You have to give me everything. You have to understand the nuances. And I do long takes, lengthy shots. It’s difficult for them. I’m throwing the challenge at you, I’m throwing the ace at you. You have to throw three aces back at me. And if you don’t, you have to wait in the van for a little while and come back.”
In Bhansali’s view, the film or show takes precedence over both himself and the cast. He justified his occasional outbursts by stating, “If I’m not getting what I want, even if I lose my temper, what is wrong in it? If you’re not getting a shot, and if someone is spoiling it, what will you do? People have made stories that I’m angry, that I’m badly behaved…” He underscored the importance of achieving the desired shot, dismissing rumors of his supposedly bad behavior. Bhansali asserted that he pampers his actors and technicians, creating a bond where they appreciate the special treatment and choose to work with him again due to feeling a lack of comparable ‘love’ on other sets.
He elaborated, stating, “What we experience on set is inconsequential. It’s our creations for the world that hold significance. Whether I scolded someone, expressed anger, or shared moments of laughter and jest—it won’t be notable in the long run. My mode of transport or the grandeur of my residence holds no interest. I’m intrigued by what legends like Raj Kapoor bequeathed, not their living quarters or the challenges faced during production.” Bhansali conceded to occasionally getting upset, likening his reactions to those of a child denied their wishes. He emphasized his willingness to offer apologies promptly when his behavior oversteps.
Heeramandi is set against the backdrop of the pre-Independence era in the 1940s. It explores the cultural reality of a prominent red-light district through the lens of courtesans and nawabs. The series boasts a star-studded cast, including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and Sharmin Segal.
gave Showsha 4.5 stars and wrote, “Bhansali pens a near-perfect screenplay, and it is this rich writing that already forms an impressive foundation for the show. Each character is written with a lot of courage, empathy, and sensitivity. Here, each female character is so well-fleshed out, including those in the periphery, that they all deserve a spin-off of their own.”
It further read, “With Heeramandi, Sanjay Leela Bhansali creates a world that’s exquisite and is rich and vibrant in its culture and texture. Inhabiting this realm are some characters that are as unapologetic, complex, and imperfect as a human can be. Here, the women call their own shots and is unafraid of what the civil society might think of them. They’re pitted against each other, sometimes one even wishing for and conspiring against another’s downfall and shattering their self-worth, pride and ego.
They can tear apart and even love like tigresses. And when the right time comes, they don’t bat an eyelid before fiercely protecting one another. Despite deep and dark ambition plaguing their hearts, they’ve their conscience clear. Maybe that’s why Fareedan in a scene reprimands a British officer for robbing her aunt Mallikajaan off her ‘aabru’ when all she wanted was for her to have her ‘guroor’ crumbled.”
