Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Early and personal life

Bhansali was born on 24 February 1963 in Bhuleshwar, South Bombay into a Gujarati-Jain family. His father, Navin, was a film producer, but due to financial setbacks, he turned to alcoholism. As a result, his mother, Leela, sewed clothes to make ends meet and Navin died of cirrhosis. Bhansali adopted his mother's name as his middle name instead of his father's. He has paid tribute to his father in many of his films. In Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Sameer's tendency of speaking to his deceased father while looking at the sky is believed to be inspired by a similar habit that Bhansali had during his childhood. His alcoholism inspried Devdas (2002), including the funeral scene. In Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), a poster of his father's film, Jahazi Lutera (1957), can be seen in the background. Bhansali studied editing at Film and Television Institute of India. His sister, Bela Bhansali Segal, has directed Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi (2012), for which he wrote the script, while Bela's daughter, Sharmin Segal, made her debut as an actress under his production Malaal (2019), for which he also served as fellow writer and composer. Bhansali speaks Gujarati at home and loves Gujarati food, music, literature and architecture. He is trained in Odissi.

Career

Early work and success (1989–2005)

Bhansali began his career as an assistant to Vidhu Vinod Chopra and was involved in the making of Parinda (1989) as an assistant director, 1942: A Love Story (1994) as a writer and assistant choreographer and Kareeb (1998). However, they had a falling-out when Bhansali refused to direct Kareeb. In 1996, he made his directorial debut with Khamoshi: The Musical, the commercially unsuccessful but critically acclaimed film about a daughter's struggle to communicate with her deaf-mute parents. The film earned 5 Filmfare Awards, including the Filmfare Award for Best Film (Critics).

He rose to prominence in Indian cinema with the musical love triangle Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), starring Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan, and Ajay Devgn, which established his individualistic stamp for visual splendour and creating auras of celebration and festivity. The film was premiered in the Indian Panorama section at the 1999 International Film Festival of India. It was a critical and commercial success, and won numerous awards including 4 National Film Awards and 8 Filmfare Awards.

His next film, the period romantic drama Devdas (2002), starring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit, was Bhansali's ode to the novel of the same name, which became the highest-grossing film of the year. The film also earned widespread critical acclaim and won 10 awards at Filmfare, emerging as the most-awarded film in Filmfare at the time (tying with Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (1995)). At the 50th National Film Awards, it won 5 awards including Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. It received a nomination for the Best Foreign Film at the British Academy of Film & Television Awards (BAFTA). It was India's submission for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film was also screened at the 2002 Cannes Film Festival. It stood eighth in Time magazine's "The 10 Greatest Movies of the Millennium (Thus Far)".

His next film, Black, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rani Mukerji, broke his own all-time record of Devdas by garnering 11 awards, the highest number of awards ever given to a single film at Filmfare. It stood fifth in Time (Europe)'s "10 Best Movies of the Year 2005" among films from across the world. At the 53rd National Film Awards, he received his second National Award for Best Feature Film in Hindi. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas and Black earned him multiple Best Film and Best Director awards at Filmfare, the latter also received additional Best Film (Critics) award. In 2006, Bhansali participated as a judge on reality TV show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa alongside Farah Khan and Shilpa Shetty.

Professional setback and expansion (2007–2012)

Bhansali's next film, the musical romance Saawariya (2007) was met with mixed reviews and poor collections at the box office. In 2008, Bhansali staged the opera Padmavati, an adaptation of the 1923 ballet written by Albert Roussel. The show premiered in Paris at the prestigious Théâtre du Châtelet and next at the Festival dei Due Mondi, where it received "fifteen minutes of standing ovation and seven curtain calls at the end of the first show." Bhansali received highly positive reviews from international critics for his work. In 2010, Bhansali released Guzaarish, starring Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai, in which he also made his debut in music direction. The film received positive reviews from critics, and was an above average performer at the box office. Guzaarish earned him a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. In 2011, he became a judge on the Indian music talent show X Factor India Season 1. The same year, he also produced the musical comedy My Friend Pinto, which received negative reviews and tanked at the box office. In 2012, Bhansali produced Rowdy Rathore, a remake of the Telugu film Vikramarkudu, starring Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha and directed by Prabhu Deva. The film received mixed reviews from critics and became a major commercial success, with Box Office India labelling it as a blockbuster. The following year, he produced the romantic comedy Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi, which also received positive reviews, but could not perform well at the box office.

Established filmmaker (2013–present)

In 2013, Bhansali directed the tragic romance Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh. Some religious groups opposed the film claiming that the former title Ramleela was misleading, because the movie had nothing to do with Ramlila, the traditional enactment of the life and story of Hindu deity, Lord Rama. The film's release had been stayed by Delhi High Court due to the controversy over its title, claiming that the movie hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. Later the film's title was changed to Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, and eventually released in India as scheduled. However, after a week of release, Lucknow bench of Allahabad High Court banned the movie's release in Uttar Pradesh. Despite the controversy and limited release, the film opened to critical acclaim and strong box office collections worldwide, ultimately earning ₹2.02 billion (US$31 million) and emerging as the fifth highest-grossing film of 2013. The film garnered several award nominations for Bhansali including Best Film and Best Director nominations at Filmfare. The same year, Bhansali debuted in television with the show Saraswatichandra, starring Gautam Rode and Jennifer Winget, which he later left after few episodes.

The following year, he produced the biographical sports film Mary Kom starring Priyanka Chopra, which premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, becoming the first Hindi film to be screened on the opening night of the festival. The film became both a critical and commercial success and received various accolades including a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Film. At the 62nd National Film Awards, Bhansali received another National Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment for the film. In 2015, he produced the action drama Gabbar Is Back starring Akshay Kumar, which also emerged as a commercial success and received positive reviews from critics.

Bhansali's next directorial venture was his dream project, the period romantic drama Bajirao Mastani (2015), based on the love story between Peshwa Baji Rao I and his second wife Mastani. Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone played the title roles, while Priyanka Chopra played Bajirao's first wife, Kashibai. The film was announced in 2003 and was constantly in the news regarding the cast, including actors such as Salman Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Kareena Kapoor and Rani Mukerji. The descendants of Bajirao I and Mastani expressed their disapproval of this film, claiming excessive creative liberty by Bhansali causing wrongful portrayal of their ancestors. A petition was filed in Bombay High Court seeking a stay on the film, but the High Court refused to interfere with its release. It received widespread critical acclaim worldwide and was listed among the best films of 2015 by several sources. Despite the controversy, the film emerged as one of the highest-grossing Indian films of all time. The film received numerous accolades at various award ceremonies in India. At the 63rd National Film Awards, Bajirao Mastani won 7 awards and Bhansali won the National Award for Best Director, in addition to winning Best Film and Best Director at Filmfare. The film was featured at the 2016 Indian Panorama section of the International Film Festival of India. Bajirao Mastani was selected as India's official entry for the Best Foreign Language Film for the 74th Golden Globe Awards. The following year, he produced the Marathi film Laal Ishq.

In 2022, Bhansali directed Gangubai Kathiawadi, a biographical crime drama based on a chapter of Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai. The film about Gangubai Kothewali, stars Alia Bhatt as Gangubai, and was scheduled for release on 30 July 2021, but was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film eventually released in February 2022 to earned widespread critical acclaim, and won a leading 11 Filmfare Awards, including Best Film and Best Director wins for Bhansali, and five National Film Awards including Best Editing and Best Adapted Screenplay wins for Bhansali.

In March 2023, Bhansali launched his music label, Bhansali Music, alongside the release of the soundtrack of the Netflix series Heeramandi, on which he served as creator, director, and music composer. The series had an ensemble cast led by Manisha Koirala and Sonakshi Sinha. It had strong viewership on the platform, and has been renewed for a second season.

Bhansali will next direct Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal in the romantic drama film Love & War, which is scheduled for release in 2026.

Filmography

Films

Television

Reality show

Stage

Discography

• Sukoon (2022)
• Khadaan (2025)

Awards and nominations

Main article: List of awards and nominations received by Sanjay Leela Bhansali

References

Notes

Citations

References

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2. "BHANSALI PRODUCTIONS (INDIA) LLP".
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5. "Film in 2003 {{!}} BAFTA Awards".
6. Verma, Sukanya. (6 November 2007). "OSO-Saawariya rivalry: May the best director win".
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8. (26 April 2022). "Gangubai Kathiawadi out on OTT: When and where to watch the Alia Bhatt movie". [[The Indian Express]].
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14. (29 August 2018). "Five facts you didn't know about Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam". The Times of India.
15. (24 February 2025). "When Sanjay Leela Bhansali Recalled Last Memory Of His 'Violent, Alcoholic' Father: 'One Day Before He Died...'". The Times of India.
16. (24 February 2025). "How Sanjay Leela Bhansali Paid Tribute To His Childhood & Father Navin Via Gangubai Kathiawadi". India Times.
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18. (25 April 2025). "Sanjay Leela Bhansali's niece, Heeramandi actor Sharmin Segal is expecting her first child with businessman husband Aman Mehta: report". The Indian Express.
19. (9 April 2015). "Jains steal the show with 7 Padmas". The Times of India.
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47. (21 November 2017). "Padmaavat: Why a Bollywood epic has sparked fierce protests". BBC News.
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49. "Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Padmavati' shooting stalled by Rajput group in Jaipur - Times of India". The Times of India.
50. (6 March 2017). "Karni Sena vandalises Chittorgarh Fort, breaks mirrors in the palace of Rani Padmini". [[Hindustan Times]].
51. "Padmavati row intensifies: Film set burnt in Kolhapur, to get 24 hour security".
52. (30 January 2018). "Padmaavat box office collection day 6: Sanjay Leela Bhansali's magnum-opus collects Rs 143 crore".
53. (18 February 2023). "Sanjay Leela Bhansali says people told him not to make Gangubai Kathiawadi: 'Have ticked all the wrong boxes'".
54. (24 February 2021). "Alia Bhatt Unveils New Gangubai Kathiawadi Poster, Film Set to Clash with Prabhas' Radhe Shyam". News18.
55. (25 February 2023). "'Gangubai Kathiawadi' Anniversary: 5 Reasons Why Alia Bhatt's Film Is A Modern-Day Classic".
56. Ramachandran, Naman. (8 March 2024). "Sanjay Leela Bhansali Launches Music Label With 'Heeramandi' Soundtrack – Global Bulletin".
57. Ramachandran, Naman. (3 June 2024). "Sanjay Leela Bhansali Hit 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar' Renewed for Season 2 by Netflix (EXCLUSIVE)". [[Variety (magazine).
58. Mankad, Himesh. (16 September 2024). "Sanjay Leela Bhansali inks a big non-theatrical deal for ''Love And War''; Actors opt for profit sharing model".
59. (9 January 2025). "Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal filming emotional scenes for 'Love and War' - Report". The Times of India.
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63. "Sanjay Leela Bhansali".