Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Sanjay Leela Bhansali(Gujarati:[ˈsəndʒeːˈlilɑːˈbʱəɳsɑliː]; born 24 February 1963) is an Indian film director, film producer, screenwriter, editor and music composer, who works inHindi cinema.He is the recipient ofseveral awards, including sevenNational Film Awardsand 12Filmfare Awards, in addition to a nomination for aBAFTA Award.In 2015, theGovernment of Indiahonoured him with thePadma Shri, the fourth-highest civilian award. Bhansali is best known for his use of aesthetics and musical vision, particularly inperiod dramas.
Bhansali's directorial debut was the romantic musicalKhamoshi: The Musical(1996). He gained both mainstream and critical success with the romantic dramasHum Dil De Chuke Sanam(1999) andDevdas(2002), the latter of which won theNational Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment, and was nominated for theBAFTA Award for Best Film Not in the English Language.He won theNational Film Award for Best Feature Film in Hindifor directing the dramaBlack(2005). His subsequent releasesSaawariya(2007) andGuzaarish(2010) were box-office flops. The latter film marked his debut as a music composer. He also began producing under his banner Bhansali Productions.
Bhansali reinforced his status with the tragic romanceGoliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela(2013), and the top-grossing period dramasBajirao Mastani(2015) andPadmaavat(2018). He won theNational Film Award for Best DirectionforBajirao Mastaniand theNational Film Award for Best Music DirectionforPadmaavat. He has since directed the biopicGangubai Kathiawadi(2022), winning further National and Filmfare Awards.In 2024, Bhansali launched his own music label, named Bhansali Music, as well as created and directed the period drama seriesHeeramandi.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali was born on 24 February 1963 inBhuleshwar,South Bombayinto aGujaratiJainfamily.His mother, Leela, used to sew clothes to make ends meet.He speaksGujaratiat home and loves Gujaratifood,music,literatureand architecture.
His sister, Bela Bhansali Segal, has directedShirin 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 productionMalaal(2019), for which he also served as fellow writer and composer.
Bhansali began his career as an assistant toVidhu Vinod Chopraand was involved in the making ofParinda(1989) as an assistant director,1942: A Love Storyas a writer and assistant choreographer (1994) andKareeb(1998). However, they had a falling-out when Bhansali refused to directKareeb. In 1996, he made his directorial debut withKhamoshi: 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 theFilmfare Award for Best Film (Critics).
He rose to prominence in Indian cinema with the musical love triangleHum Dil De Chuke Sanam(1999), starringAishwarya Rai,Salman Khan, andAjay 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 1999International Film Festival of India. It was a critical and commercial success, and won numerous awards including 4National Film Awardsand 8Filmfare Awards.
His next film, the period romantic dramaDevdas(2002), starringShah Rukh Khan,Aishwarya RaiandMadhuri Dixit, was Bhansali's ode to the novelof 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 withDilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge(1995)). At the50th National Film Awards, it won 5 awards includingBest Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment. It received a nomination for theBest Foreign Filmat theBritish Academy of Film & Television Awards (BAFTA).It wasIndia's submissionfor theAcademy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The film was also screened at the2002 Cannes Film Festival.It stood eighth inTimemagazine's "The 10 Greatest Movies of the Millennium (Thus Far)".
His next film,Black, starringAmitabh BachchanandRani Mukerji, broke his own all-time record ofDevdasby garnering 11 awards, the highest number of awards ever given to a single film at Filmfare. It stood fifth inTime(Europe)'s "10 Best Movies of the Year 2005" among films from across the world.At the53rd National Film Awards, he received his second National Award forBest Feature Film in Hindi.Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam,DevdasandBlackearned 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 showJhalak Dikhhla JaaalongsideFarah KhanandShilpa Shetty.
Bhansali's next film, the musical romanceSaawariya(2007) was met with mixed reviews and poor collections at the box office.In 2008, Bhansali staged the operaPadmavati, an adaptation of the 1923 ballet written byAlbert Roussel.The show premiered inParisat the prestigiousThéâtre du Châteletand next at theFestival 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 releasedGuzaarish, starringHrithik Roshanand 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.Guzaarishearned him a nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director. In 2011, he became a judge on the Indian music talent showX Factor IndiaSeason 1.The same year, he also produced the musical comedyMy Friend Pinto, which received negative reviews and tanked at the box office. In 2012, Bhansali producedRowdy Rathore, a remake of theTelugu filmVikramarkudu, starringAkshay KumarandSonakshi Sinhaand directed byPrabhu Deva. The film received mixed reviews from critics and became a major commercial success, withBox Office Indialabelling it as a blockbuster.The following year, he produced the romantic comedyShirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi, which also received positive reviews, but could not perform well at the box office.
In 2013, Bhansali directed the tragic romanceGoliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, an adaptation ofShakespeare'sRomeo and Juliet, starringDeepika PadukoneandRanveer Singh. Some religious groups opposed the film claiming that the former titleRamleelawas misleading, because the movie had nothing to do withRamlila, the traditional enactment of the life and story of Hindu deity,Lord Rama. The film's release had been stayed byDelhi High Courtdue to the controversy over its title, claiming that the movie hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus. Later the film's title was changed toGoliyon 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 inUttar 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 showSaraswatichandra, starringGautam RodeandJennifer Winget, which he later left after few episodes.
The following year, he produced the biographical sports filmMary KomstarringPriyanka Chopra, which premiered at the2014 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 the62nd National Film Awards, Bhansali received another National Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment for the film. In 2015, he produced the action dramaGabbar Is Backstarring 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 dramaBajirao Mastani(2015), based on the love story betweenPeshwaBaji Rao Iand his second wifeMastani. 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 asSalman Khan,Shah Rukh Khan,Aishwarya Rai Bachchan,Kareena KapoorandRani 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 thehighest-grossing Indian films of all time.The film received numerousaccoladesat various award ceremonies in India. At the63rd National Film Awards,Bajirao Mastaniwon 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 2016Indian Panoramasection of theInternational Film Festival of India.Bajirao Mastaniwas selected as India's official entry for theBest Foreign Language Filmfor the74th Golden Globe Awards.The following year, he produced the Marathi filmLaal Ishq.
Bhansali directed theperiod dramafilmPadmaavat(2018),jointly produced by him andViacom 18 Motion Pictures, and also written by him. The film stars Deepika Padukone in the title role asRani Padmini, alongsideShahid Kapoorand Ranveer Singh in the title roles ofRawal Ratan SinghandAlauddin Khaljirespectively. During the shooting of the film in January 2017 inJaipur, the members ofShri Rajput Karni Senaprotested at the sets atJaigarh Fort, physically attacked Bhansali and his crew members, alleging that he misrepresented historical facts and depicted them erroneously in the film, and also tried to vandalise the sets.On 6 March 2017, members of Shri Rajput Karni Sena vandalised theChittor Fortagain and broke the mirrors installed in the palace of Rani Padmini.On 15 March 2017, a group of unidentified vandals again attacked and set fire to the sets of this movie in Kolhapur which led to the production set, costumes and jewelleries being burnt.The film earned Rs. 1.43 billion rupees in the first six days after its release.Padmaavatemerged as the highest-grossing film of the year, and received widespread critical acclaim, and earned Bhansali theNational Film Award for Best Music Directionand theFilmfare Award for Best Music Director, in addition to Best Film and Best Director nominations at Filmfare.
In 2022, Bhansali directedGangubai Kathiawadi, a biographical crime drama based on a chapter ofHussain Zaidi's bookMafia Queens of Mumbai.The film aboutGangubai Kothewali, starsAlia Bhattas Gangubai, and was scheduled for release on 30 July 2021, but was postponed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.The film eventually released in February 2022 to earned widespread critical acclaim, and won a leading 11Filmfare Awards, including Best Film and Best Director wins for Bhansali,and fiveNational Film Awardsincluding 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 theNetflixseriesHeeramandi, on which he served as creator, director, and music composer.The series had an ensemble cast led byManisha Koiralaand 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, andVicky Kaushalin the romantic drama filmLove & War, which is scheduled for release in 2026.