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Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is notorious for his short fuse and his relentless pursuit of perfection in his projects. Hence, it is very important for his cast and crew to make sure that he remains cool so as to avoid escalating tensions.
Meanwhile, actor Aditi Rao Hydari, who plays a key role in his first-ever streaming series, the period drama Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, recently revealed how the team ensured Bhansali’s tranquillity through an unconventional approach. “His greatest loves are his four-legged babies,” Aditi said while taking part in IMDb’s original series “Burning Questions.”
Actor Taha Shah Badussha disclosed Bhansali’s affinity for his army of dogs, with his favourite being a fur baby named Jaanu. Adding to this, actor Fardeen Khan mentioned, “Whenever he used to get into a fluster or frustrated about something, the assistant directors would send these 25 dogs that Sanjay Leela Bhansali has on the sets of Heeramandi, and the minute they went on to set, he used to be calm.”
When asked about other lesser-known aspects of Bhansali’s process, Sanjeeda Sheikh told IMDb, “There is one more thing. He changes his kurta 3-4 times a day. And after every change, there is this new thought in his mind.”
When asked which scene she was most nervous to shoot after reading Heeramandi’s script, actor Richa Chadha emphasised the unconventional nature of the script. “The script was so loose, like an instruction (manual). All that it might say is ‘Lajjo (Richa’s character) does big final dance.’ You won’t know it’s going to be shot over eight days and how stressful, complicated, difficult, or enjoyable it will be.”
“There was one day where we had to shoot one scene where I had to cry, which was eventually shot over four days. From beginning to end, I had to cry. So, at 9 in the morning, I used to start crying and finish by 10 at night. By the fourth day, my eyes were like potatoes,” Bhansali’s niece Sharmin Segal, who also played a key role in the show, said.
Opening up about his decision to make a comeback to show business after a gap of 14 years, actor Fardeen Khan, the son of the legendary thespian (late) Feroz Khan, said, “To get an endorsement from Sanjay Leela Bhansali after, in my case, a gap of so long. It is an actor’s dream. But, having said that, the first person to sign me when I did come back was Sanjay Gupta. And I worked with two Sanjays. “Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar” was the second project that I shot for, but it just so happened that it is going to be my first release. Just to have the privilege and the opportunity to collaborate under a master craftsman was amazing.”
In her review of the show, The Indian Express’ Shubhra Gupta wrote, “It’s when Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix show turns its eyes on the faded grandeur of its ‘Lahore ki ranis’ in their gilded cages, grime peeking out from behind their finery, that the show is most effective.”
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