Ranveer Singh crashes Alia Bhatt’s interview of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, earns a flying kiss from Gangubai Kathiawadi director
Contrary to popular belief, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali said that he is ‘not a serious filmmaker’ and is actually ‘a very entertaining person’. The director was being interviewed his Gangubai Kathiawadi star Alia Bhatt.
In a video posted on the Pen Movies YouTube channel, the actor-director duo spoke about the success of the movie, and discussed each other’s process. The interview was gatecrashed actor Ranveer Singh, who has starred in three hit films directed Bhansali.
Over the years, Bhansali has developed a reputation for being an intimidating and exacting director, but he said that he’s a fun-loving person. Recalling a story about how an associate of his avoided a tense situation after he lashed out at her, he said, “You have to be able to laugh at your circumstances. You know that joy that you have when you’re performing, you’re funny. I’ve imitated your walk from the van to the set… We’ve done all that, because I find it funny. There is a joy, and the process of making a film is not joyous.”
He continued, “After Dholida, there was a shot that I was trying to conceive, and my associate Anisha came and said that we’d run out of time. So I freaked out on her, and she turned around to the assants and said, ‘Tum logon ko bol rahe hain, not me’. And I have fallen down laughing. I said this is the spirit with which you should take it, otherwise you would’ve sulked and gone home.”
Previously, Alia’s boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor had spoken about his experience of working on a Bhansali set. Ranbir had assed the filmmaker on Black before being launched as an actor him in Saawariya. Ranbir said (as quoted PTI) “When I assed Mr (Sanjay Leela) Bhansali (on Black), he used to really treat me as an assant director. I used to be kneeling down for hours, he used to hit us, he used to abuse us… that only hardens you and prepares you for the world.”
Gangubai Kathiawadi opened to positive reviews and box office success in February. The film has made over Rs 100 crore internationally.