‘Sanjay Leela Bhansali kept me hungry for a day to shoot rousing scenes’, shares Aditi Rao Hydari: ‘I was struggling’

Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar was Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s dream project as well as his web series debut which streamed on Netflix in May. The series starred Manisha Koirala, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sonakshi Sinha, and Richa Chadha, among others. Months later, Aditi Rao shared scenes that gave her sleepless nights. She also recalled the times when Sanjay Leela Bhansali kept her starving to shoot rousing scenes with real emotions.

Speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, the newly married actress shared, “For me, it was my two mujras. I have grown up dancing since I was a little girl, but mujra was a very different form of dancing. I had learnt Bharatnatyam, but this was Kathak and it was Kathak through the eyes of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is perfectionist max and also knows a lot. And it was about getting it right and not disappointing him. That really gave me sleepless nights.”

She added, “The scenes where I had to give rousing speeches, Sanjay sir kept me starving for a day because these scenes don’t come naturally and I did it very happily because it truly helped me… hangry help.”

Story continues below this ad

ALSO READ | Naga Chaitanya-Sobhita Dhulipala Wedding LIVE Updates: Naga to honour grandfather ANR’s legacy, Sobhita to wear traditional outfit

She explained, “I was struggling with these scenes and he used to pull my leg that if I will ask her to give me a rousing scene, she will make it look like a shringaar scene. So he said, ‘don’t eat’ and that’s how it happened.”

Aditi Rao Hydari played the role of Bibbojaan, who was a great dancer and singer and a secret member of independence movement. The show opened to mixed review. Weeks after the release of Heeramandi, the makers officially announced a sequel to the series. However, updates about the same are still under wraps.