Sanjay Leela Bhansali is reveling in the success of his web series debut, ‘Heeramandi’ but has also announced more about his next big project – his movie ‘Love & War’ starring Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal.
After what’s being dubbed as his OTT magnum opus, Heeramandi creator and director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is reveling in the success of his Netflix debut web series. Did you know? “Heeramandi” is Netflix’s biggest-budget Indian original to date and the biggest undertaking of Bhansali’s grand career. We have watched, re watched, critiqued, some loved, heard the actors and actresses talking about their Heeramandi experiences but we haven’t heard the director’s POV that is until now. Sanjay Leela Bhansali has opened up in an interview with Variety about the response he has received to Heeramandi – a project that took 350 shooting days and three years.
“‘Heeramandi’ was my first OTT [streaming] launch and I am blessed with all the love the audiences have given me, my technicians and my actors,” Bhansali told Variety from a holiday location where he’s taking a break after an intense production process that spanned 350 shooting days across three years. “I am grateful to Netflix for making the series available to audiences across 194 countries. Unlike a film where immediate feedback comes in the form of box office numbers, it’s very different for a series. The anticipation was filled with excitement and a sense of responsibility, and it was interesting to see that what we were creating was going to be presented to a global audience.”
Would He Change Anything? Nope!
Looking back at the process of “Heeramandi,” is there anything Bhansali would’ve done differently? “There is always a desire to refine and elevate your own work. But looking back at ‘Heeramandi,’ I am happy with what we have achieved,” Bhansali said. “I remember working on the post, editing and re-editing until the very last moment of delivery. But now, when I go back and watch it, I don’t think I would change a thing.”
What’s Next For Bhansali & His Fans?
Instead of going in hibernation after this mega success of his painstakingly grand project, he is onto his next one – a cinematic release featuring the Bollywood power stars. Bhansali’s next project “Love & War,” is one with a cast led by Bollywood megastars and real-life power couple Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt, alongside Vicky Kaushal.
“It’s a love story that I’m making after a long time. A slightly contemporary work, different from the dances, pillars, architecture, drapes, curtains and jewellery [of “Heeramandi”]. It’s a new language, milieu and ambience for me,” Bhansali says of the film. “I needed [it] very much to excite me as a filmmaker to do something new, to speak of a different period, a different set of characters and new circumstances.”
“It’s nice to work with this wonderful cast of Ranbir, Vicky and Alia. It’ll be nice to see how their chemistry works. And [it is] a triangular love story, which has not come in Hindi cinema for a long time. So let’s see how it all shapes up,” Bhansali added.
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Source: Variety
