Sanjay Leela Bhansali Talks Sahir Ludhianvi Biopic and Inshallah

Alia Bhatt & Salman Khan: Sanjay Leela Bhansali Discusses Inshallah

Sanjay Leela Bhansali said the urge to make a good film has to come from "deep within". He added that making a film is a "very spontaneous decision".

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali has spoken about filming his once-announced projects, a biopic of Sahir Ludhianvi, and Inshallah. Speaking with Pinkvilla, Bhansali said he doesn't know "what I'll make, when I'll make it". He added that it's about the "inner calling of the filmmaker that comes from deep down".

Bhansali spoke about Sahir Ludhianvi's biopic, Inshallah. Bhansali said, "Now, as the 4th, 5th, and 6th unfold, you'll get to know. Right now, I can't speak. I really don't know what I'll make, when I'll make it, it's a very spontaneous decision. I'll be making Gangubai, and suddenly, I put the script down and say, Ram Leela. So I'll be suddenly making Inshallah, and I'll say No, Gangubai (Kathiawadi). So I feel it's about the inner calling of the filmmaker, the inner calling that comes from deep down that 'make this'."

He added, "Then I am fully into the project. Then I am into the film, and I am making it like it's me. My soul has to survive, that kind of commitment! It's with everything, so I can't make a film just because it sounds good on paper or it's a good cast. It has to come from deep within to want to make the film, so what I'll make (I don't know)."

While reflecting on his journey, spoke about his childhood visit to a film studio, igniting his passion for storytelling. "I wanted to make it 18 years ago. Then I thought there was another film to be made, then another film to be made. But this was always on my list of wanting to make it one day. After every film, Heeramandi would come up, and I would say once again, wait, it's too vast," he was quoted by news agency ANI.

"It's too epic - too much of an epic to be made into two or two and a half hours. Then we thought we'd make it into two parts. It's difficult to make a series, but we've made it, and I have enjoyed it. I'm glad and thankful to God that we made it. 14 years of planning, 18 years of living with it, and two years of designing, so it's a lot of work that has gone into it," he added.

Bhansali's recent project Recently, Bhansali debuted in the OTT world with Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. Through the stories of courtesans and their patrons, the series delves deep into the cultural reality of Heeramandi. It features Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal, Taha Shah Badussha, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman. Heeramandi is streaming on Netflix.