It’s going to be an exceptionally quiet birthday on 24 February for India’s most successful filmmaker. No partying, no celebration.
“What’s there to celebrate on my birthday? When I was a child I was neither allowed to have a birthday party nor allowed to attend any birthday. We couldn’t afford to give gifts , so we were not allowed to take any. Cakes, new clothes parties and other birthday treats were alien to my sister and me,” says Sanjay Leela Bhansali who confesses his mind is “blank” at the moment.
“I just want catch my breath, regain my strength and find my bearings again. The past year has been very, very difficult and challenging. I had to gather every ounce of my inner strength and complete Padmaavat without any compromise. We shot the massive war sequences and the jauhar climax at the time when we were vulnerable to any kind of attack. I don’t know what could have happened. Going by the nature of the threats I may have lost my head. That, I did anyway. Almost.”Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Director
SLB preserves a self-deprecatory sense of humour about the crisis that polarized the populace into Padmaavat protestors and supporters. “The only way to survive is to see the humour in the situation, no matter how grim and challenging.I never hesitate to laugh at myself at the most difficult of times.”
Music is SLB’s sole solace and the instrument of survival. “There is no bigger devotee of Lata Mangeshkar than me. I’ve learnt filmmaking by listening to her. And if I am composing the music for my own films, it comes from everything I learnt from her. I’ve tried to mould Shreya Ghosal’s voice in the style of Lataji, knowing there can never be another one like. Not for a million years.”
If SLB sees the same singing spark in any singer today, it is Arijit Singh.
“I had first seen him on (the reality show) Fame Gurukul and he was supposed to sing for Guzaarish. But then he abruptly quit the show and left for Bengal with his father and now he’s back. And look at what he has achieved. He has a rare understanding of music and lyrics. What he did to my song Binte dil in Padmaavat is beyond what I had imagined. He took the lyrics to another level. I am thankful to my entire Padmaavat team for making the impossible dream come alive.”
Any unfulfilled dreams for this epic filmmaker?
“Yes, a film on the life of Lata ji. What an inspirational life she has lived. She has given so much to the country and still has so much to give.”
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