He is hailed as the showman of this century in Hindi cinema and often compared with the legendary directors like Raj Kapoor and Guru Dutt. Sanjay Leela Bhansali, known for his vision and standard of creativity he churns out in every film, is known to have a fan following, which few directors can boast of. However, he always requests people to not hype up his personality. “Please don’t make me sound larger than life. I’m still the same person who made a small beginning with Khamoshi,” he says. Even after having made some contemporary classics like Devdas and Black, the director says that nothing much has changed in life. “I was and still am a very private person. Thankfully, the media has been kind enough to not encroach upon my privacy,” he says. Bhansali, who was in the news at one point of time for his liaison with choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant believes in the fact that some equations with people work out and some don’t. “I’ve never felt the need to publicise my personal life. I’d rather let people talk about my work,” he says.
At present, Bhansali is in the news for making a film that is quite different from his usual genre. He says that with My Friend Pinto, he has taken up a challenge and has enjoyed working on it. “My Friend Pinto is a totally different film from what I’ve done so far. And that’s the beauty of it. I love challenges,” he says. Apparently, Sanjay had cast Prateik soon after Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na. “A lot of people thought it was suicidal to cast a non-established actor in the title role, but I went ahead according to my gut feeling and said that Prateik was apt for the role. His face, his body language and the whole attitude is just what Pinto is all about. Above all, he has his mother’s aura, that sets him apart form the rest,” says Bhansali.
He admits that there is something about the newcomers that makes him want to cast them. “From Ayesha Kapoor in Black to Ranbir Kapoor in Guzaarish, I’ve always admired the energy of the raw talent,” he says.
Talking about Ranbir Kapoor, one hears that he was the original choice for MFP. “That’s not true at all,” he nods. Bhansali admits that he is fond of junior Kapoor.