Sanjay Leela Bhansali, now recognized as one of Hindi cinema’s most influential filmmakers, began his journey as an assistant to Vidhu Vinod Chopra, honing his skills in the film ‘1942: A Love Story’. Bhansali’s talent for directing musical sequences emerged during this time, under the mentorship of Chopra.
In an old candid interview, Vidhu Vinod Chopra reflected on Bhansali’s early days, sharing insights into his growth as a filmmaker. Recalling Bhansali’s shy demeanor, Chopra mentioned how he once sent the young assistant to collect an award on his behalf. “Sanjay Bhansali, ab toh woh Sanjay Leela Bhansali hogaya hai. Woh mera assistant tha. MTV mein kuch award milne they 1942 ko direction ke liye, maine usko bola jaa le. Ab toh zor se chillata hai, tab toh ghabrate ghabrate award lene gaya tha (Sanjay Bhansali, who now goes by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, was my assistant. I won an award for 1942, and I sent him to collect it. He screams a lot these days, but back then, he was a meek guy),” Chopra remarked, noting the transformation from a reserved assistant to a celebrated director known for his powerful cinematic style.
Vinod Chopra also reminisced about a young Sanjay Leela Bhansali who, during his early days as an assistant, was too timid to even call Madhuri Dixit to the set when time was running short. Despite Bhansali’s initial shyness, Chopra recognized his undeniable talent. Reflecting on Bhansali’s incredible journey, Chopra expressed his pride, saying, “He was a very different guy, but I knew that he was talented. And I’m so happy when I see his cinema; I say, ‘Wow, he did it’. How do you spot talent? You have to be honest with yourself. Inside me, there must be some humility that I see talent greater than myself.”
Chopra also recounted an incident where Bhansali struggled with cutting a trailer for ‘1942: A Love Story’. After two failed attempts, Bhansali sought help from a “skinny boy” who turned out to be none other than Rajkumar Hirani. Chopra, known for his direct approach, criticized Hirani’s initial work harshly. Despite the tough love, both Bhansali and Hirani went on to become legends in the industry, a testament to Chopra’s eye for spotting talent.
““Sanjay Bhansali was my assistant. Now he’s called Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He was cutting a trailer for 1942: A Love Story. Sanjay cut a terrible trailer, and I told him it wasn’t going to work. He then cut another trailer, which was also terrible. I asked him who was responsible for this. He said that he knew he couldn’t do it, so he’d asked another person to cut it instead. A skinny boy comes in. Now, I’m illiterate, so I swear a lot. I gave the boy some really bad gaalis,” the filmmaker recalled.
Comments
0 comment