Feb 24, 2026 12:28pm IST
Sanjay Leela Bhansali on ‘Love & War’: ‘I Am Trying to Do Something Special Here’ (EXCLUSIVE)
Sanjay Leela Bhansali celebrated his 63rd birthday working on “Love & War,” his upcoming film starring Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal.
Talking about his working birthday, Bhansali says, “Work is all that I have to define my identity. When I am workless, I feel worthless. I’m more adventurous and fearless as an artist now. Today, I am working harder than I did five or 10 years ago. I put in nearly 20 hours every day, and I am enjoying it.”
Bhansali is tight-lipped when speaking of his 11th feature film. “I am trying to do something special here,” he offers.
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Bhansali is also excited about collaborating with Ketan Mehta for a film on the Somnath temple. “I have been a fan of Ketan Mehta’s cinema from my student days at the FTII. His ‘Mirch Masala’ is one of my 10 favorite films of all time. I love the film for the sheer power of the folk tale.”
He reminisces about his oeuvre. “I still look back at my first (‘Khamoshi: The Musical’) with the most affection. I wish it had worked. I remember going to the Liberty theatre, seeing those empty seats and the scattered audience restless and angry, my spirit was broken.”
He believes it is important for a filmmaker to not forget where he comes from. “The red-light area in ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ was my neighborhood during my childhood. I spent the first 30 years of my life living just one lane away from Kamathipura. All the smells, colors and chaos of my growing up years were incorporated into ‘Gangubai’,” he shares.
What about “Devdas”? “His search for love is universal. I would love to work with Shah Rukh Khan again.”
Bhansali says he wants to make many more films. “I don’t know how many years I’ve left. But I want to keep making films until I die.”
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