Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Big Interview

 A relationship has to be given the dignity whether you are in it or not!

Says Sanjay Leela Bhansali about his life before and after filmmaking and everything that happened in between.

Afsana Ahmed

There’s tremendous excitement in the air for Sanjay Leela Bhansali these days. And the excitement this time encompasses everything—his return after two and half years; his movie is mired in controversies one after the other, and of course the skulking anxiety to present it to the audiences. “However happy you are with the film, finally it’s the film people are going to see and judge. I am very excited and dying to show this film to people” says filmmaker.

Bhansali, who has undeniably cut almost all corners in overcoming his past issues sailed through my interview with ease but also found some of my difficult and obdurate questions to be `too tiring’. Nonetheless his responses are animated and candid.

We meet at his JVPD office over evening tea.

Excerpts:

After two unsuccessful films is there an unseen fear lurking somewhere now that you’re set to return after two and half years?

Each film for a filmmaker is always a test and every film has its own fate. If I would be precarious and unjustifiable to let such an emotion overpower you in anyways, especially after I start a film. In that case I’ll stop making movies. And
this one (Ram Leela) has my mother’s name in it (Leela) , so you know what I mean! Even if my previous two films haven’t been big hits, this one, I presume will make its own mark because the subject, experience, actors and treatment is very new.

You have never spoken about your broken engagement with well-known choreographer (Vaibhavi Merchant)? Do you like to share anything?

There are somethings in life which are beautiful and you want to retain the sanctity of that beauty. Those moments are mine. It’s very important that I treat those moments with dignity as they are private moments. A relationship has to be given the dignity whether you are in it or not. This is one side of my life, I’ll not talk about.

Sure. Are you open to love again?

How do you fall out of love in the first place? If a
relationship doesn’t work, it doesn’t work for various reasons, but it
doesn’t mean that you don’t love that person. If it’s not happening,
it’s not happening. But, how do I fall out of love? These are all
personal crisis that one goes through in life. That is it.

You’ll be turning fifty soon. Have you thought of settling down or no?

I don’t know. I can’t say. Life is so unpredictable. You don’t know where it leads. Now I am
happy with the way I am way. I am very comfortable. I don’t two three
norms which I have never believed in. I have always done things
my way. It’s a state of mind and I don’t know how to
explain it to you. I feel a certain amount of
incompleteness will always be there in my life. It’s a part of destiny
and karma that I have decided to choose. It’s my choice and I did not
want a certain lifestyle. These are all choices people make.

Certain viewers feel that you’re over extravagant in your movies even though your subjects are simple love stories. What do you have to say? BOX
How does it affect their viewing I don’t understand! Yes, I spend a lot but the money spent should be worthy of it’s expend. What you call over indulgent for me is a tribute to the artistry of the artistes.  I preserve legacy through my films either in music, art or great artistry works.  A filmmaker should thoroughly know how to use the money in creating the film. He should know how to pay tribute to the artistry of the artiest.

Ram-Leela looks a lot like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.

That’s because Hum Dil…was also set in Gujarat like Ram-Leela but this one is more
rustic, raw with a lot of action. This one is full-throttled and open hearted while Hum Dil…was more graceful and quiet. I have worked very hard on giving
different treatment to Ram-Leela. Sometimes, you might be seeing hint
of Aishwarya in Deepika with the Gujarati lehenga or a blouse but we
have made all the effort to make sure she looks completely different
from Ash.

 PG 2

I still carry certain childhood phobia in me

How much value do you put in money today?

As much so that money feels valued and respected.  Nothing matters to me more than my films. If I earn a certain amount I put it all back in my next, including my fees. I want to be known for my films not by my wealth. What’s the point of having a huge bungalow if you still have to go back and sleep in that little bed or eat from that small plate? So money is important so long I get back my returns.

Your films are seemingly contrasted in nature, feel and look. Either you explore the dark and deep space (Black and Guzaarish) or then it’s throbbing and vibrant (Devads, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam or Ram Leela). Tell us as a person, where do you fit in? BOX

I am both. Very alive and throbbing as a person, love laughing which many
people don’t know. I’m a sucker of beautiful things in life! It could be food or anything. I would go to any lengths or any place to see a great show, a good dance performance or a good architecture. I would look at all these for hours without complaining. Essentially, I’m a very `shaukeen’ person. But there is a dark side in me too. I’ve become very lonely, and quiet.That’s because I’ve gone through a lot in life perhaps that also leaves its mark in your personality. These experiences give shades to your artistic pursuit.

But let me tell you that Devdas although flamboyant, was a dark and intense film which hardly had any humour. Black and Guzaarish, on the other hand were positive films. On is about a woman who says I want to go and achieve it and the other is about a man who says I am not afraid of death and I want to enjoy my last moments on this earth. It’s a
positive film.

Classic becomes classic long after they have been released or the maker is
dead? Do you agree? Or is a classic a popular choice?

Very tough to answer what makes a classic. You cannot set out to make a classic. I think what makes a classic is its sheer geniuses of a person who creates that work which can’t be recreated again. It stands the test of time and is always beautiful even after 100 years. It should still work emotionally whenever you see it. When I see Do Aankhen Baara Haath today, I weep and cry at the brilliance of the film, story and music. It has to be relevant and important in today’s time and I’m not talking about social messages.

Do you feel your films are on those lines? Pull quote
How can I say it? Sometime back Amitji (Bachchan) and Jayaji (Bachchan) saw Saawariya at home and tweeted about it. It touched a great artist somewhere who saw something
nice in it. He didn’t understand why it was rejected. That message is beyond a box office failure for me.

You seem to have more or less cut all corners of your life and is in a great space today. Do you still have any bitterness in life?  

It’s important to have certain complain going and for me those are the usual little complains that we all tend to have. Life is supposed to be whatever your karma is. But on a larger note, I’m not the complaining type. I love life. There are no grudges and but there certain childhood phobias. As I said earlier that I mostly keep to myself and that’s why I’m often misunderstood. Certain part of my behaviour stems from my childhood experiences. Like for instance, when I was a kid, I remember our visit was not welcomed in some relatives’ house.  So you start withdrawing. Even today I don’t ask people ‘how are you’ or ‘go to their
house or check with them. I feel they may not welcome it.

But there are people in my life who I still love immensely. There are some aunts who were very good to me when my family when we would visit them. But by and large I have tried to
forget the bad times.

Now does your good time allow you to indulge in the little joys of life that was once an integral part of your life?

It doesn’t occur to me that I’m recognized or not. I can still walk around
casually without being bothered. I go to the Worli seaface for a walk. I go shopping in the mall; I go down the road to the bhelwala who is my good friend. Sometimes I carry my wallet, sometimes I buy on credit from them. I don’t go to big hotels; I don’t have many luxury cars. And who cares?

I don’t want to lose contact with reality. I do this because I want to see real things around and study faces. I don’t want to sit in a plush office and lose touch with the real world. My office is also not a plush director’s office. That’s what I say, I enjoy small things in life.

How many cars do you have now? BOX
Three. One Mercedes and two very small economic cars. The Mercedes is for my mother’s comfort also the fact that after a hard they’s work I want to put up my legs. It’s quite spacious. Even if my needs are small I’m earning well today and who else should reap the benefit of my success but mother know! And of course my sister ( Bela). How can I forget those times when my mother would put me
to sleep, I would watch her hands tired, face exhausted and voice (when she sang the lullaby)
was drained out! Half asleep with the needle in the hand at 2 am in the morning she would work away to earn that extra 25.She would stich saris borders.

How did you take criticsism when both your movies failed?

My first film was a huge critical success but a huge box-office failure. I’ve seen failure and humiliation in the beginning. I’ve come through that space in my life. Guzaarish was a wonderful film. And Saawariya is one of my favourite works. But people’s reactions shook me to a great extent. I was hurt and angry. A lot of people went to the extent of saying that Sanjay Bhansali is over and no actor wants to work with him now. It was on newspapers, radio and television. But then, life moves on. The best way of dealing with failure is an expression of my anger. It triggers a mad side in me. I become unstoppable. I’ve seen too much of struggle and hardship to take success or failure seriously.

Your anger is legendary in the industry..There’re stories about phone flinging and all that..True?

People probably think I’m rude, arrogant, proud and inaccessible, but I’m nothing of those sorts. I express myself openly and full heartedly. If there’s a shot I’ve set up and you walk by and drop a glass over there, I will shout at you. And that’s not to humiliate you, it’s because I care for my shot. It’s a shot we had set up. I have figured it clearly that as a filmmaker; I must express all my emotions – anger, jealousy, joy, love, happiness, greed or bitterness – clearly. And then maybe, I can tell those stories honestly through other characters and explain to them what it all means. They are the part of human beings. Does expressing anger
make me wrong, evil?

 It’s not that I’m an angry person. I’m very well-behaved. Infact I was very happy and joyful in making this film. Also, you evolve and grow as a person.

Your five classic picks:

Pakeezah: Because it is Kamal Amrohi and Meena Kumari’s film. Because of its beautifully expressed anguish. And it’s a great film.

Mirch Masala: The interpretation of a village
girl and a beautifully made film by Ketan Mehta.
Mughal-E-Azam: Because it’s a sheer genius. The film is
excellent in every second of film.

Do Aakhen Barah Haath:V Shantaram is my favourite filmmaker in
the world. I am most impressed, inspired and influenced by him. I have
never seen such madness in any other person. And that work had such
huge revenue.

36 Chowrangee Lane: Aparna Sen’s best and will always be. It’s a beautiful film, Jenifer Kapoor’s wonderful performance and Ashok Mehta’s cinematography added the required richness.

Your next two films, Mary Kom and Gabbar are diametrically different again.

I agree and I’m very excited about it. Both are diametrically opposite
films. As a producer I am enjoying that process also. One is a film on
a person that actually exists, a biopic of a person who is young and wonderful and as for Gabbar I’m very excited about as well because Akshay Kumar is in it.