Music director Ismail Darbar, known for his collaborations with director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, said that his career suffered because of their fallout. He said that he tried reaching out to producers such as Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra for work, but they didn't respond to his satisfaction. There was a time, he said, that his finances took a major hit as well, but he vowed never to work with Bhansali even if he is offered Rs 100 crore. In an interview with Vickey Lalwani, Ismail said that Bhansali became insecure that the success of his films would be credited to the music, and found an excuse to stop working with him. He said that Bhansali played with his emotions for years, and took advantage of him. "My eyes opened after my experience with him on Heeramandi," he said, explaining that he worked on the Netflix series for over a year, but quit when he sensed that he was on the verge of being fired by Bhansali for a misunderstanding. Asked why he doesn't take steps to find work for himself, he said, "I tried 15 years ago. I called up and sent messages to Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra; I don't have a problem taking their names." Also read - ‘It’s Zaid Darbar’s right to stop Gauahar Khan from working after marriage; I don’t watch her work because I’ll confront her’: father-in-law Ismail Darbar He continued, "Their response was such that I cannot even call it a response; we might as well say that they never responded. In times like these, it is important to tell yourself that the entire world knows of your work, and if they want to collaborate with you, they will come." When it was pointed out to him that people aren't approaching him, he said, "They are, but not with offers worthy of me." He said that even when he was struggling, he lived lavishly, so now that he has made a name for himself, there is no way that he will change his lifestyle. Asked how he can afford the lifestyle he is accustomed to, he said, "Yes, not having work impacted my finances. But, fortunately, I have never been in a position where I've had to borrow money. Even Sanjay has asked me 500 times how I make a living, and I tell him that God is taking care of the entire, one family is not a big deal. They're all concerned about my finances, but my lifestyle has only improved." Although he didn't explain how his lifestyle has improved, he went into detail about his fallout with Bhansali, with whom he worked on Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas, receiving acclaim for both albums. He said that they were supposed to work together on Heeramandi, but Bhansali took offence to a news article that declared Ismail Darbar to be the biggest star of the project.
