Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Born on 24 February 1963 in Mumbai, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is an Indian citizen whose working life spans several creative disciplines within the film and television industries. Mumbai, the city of his birth, situates him within a particular cultural and linguistic world, and his work reflects that range: he operates across Hindi, Gujarati, and English.
Bhansali received his formal training at the Film and Television Institute of India. From that foundation he built a career in which he has taken on the roles of film director, film producer, television producer, screenwriter, and composer. The combination of those roles places him across multiple stages of production, from script to screen to score, and across both film and television as distinct forms.
His work has been recognized through formal distinctions. He received the Filmfare Award for Best Director, and was also awarded the Padma Shri. The two honors mark his career from different directions, one originating within the film industry and the other representing a national recognition conferred on an Indian citizen.
The Library of Congress catalogs his work under the authorized name form Bhansali, Sanjay Leela. That designation gathers together his output as a director, producer, screenwriter, and composer — a body of work produced by a man born in Mumbai on a February morning in 1963, trained at a national film institution, and recognized by awards that span the industry and the state.
Quotes by Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Once a film is selected at Cannes, the crossover becomes very easy, thanks to the prestige and dignity it gains at Cannes.
The first thing I do after I wake up is switch on the music player and the last thing I do before going to sleep is stop it.
There is no such thing as human perfection, and yet when you hear Lataji sing, you wonder how she sang that song so beautifully, so perfectly. Or, how Kumar Gandharva touched your soul so powerfully.
I am not indulgent. I think constructing a scene elaborately - with art, costume, and visual drama - is not indulgence. Other people should do it, too.
People don't want to always see a comedy or an action film. If the film in a particular genre is made well, then it will see its share of success.
I remember during 'Devdas,' people told me that they had seen 'Devdas' before, so what would be so different about this one. But I was convinced with the subject, and that is what drove me.
'Jhalak' was a wonderful experience, but it was important for me to get back to films, since I am a director too.
When I make a film about a physically challenged person, I come away with so much. I learn to value what I have. My survival instinct sharpened after 'Black' and 'Guzaarish.'
