Sanjay Leela Bhansali remembers his childhood days: ‘Blessed to be born in 300 square-feet, colourless chawl’

Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is known for his larger than life films and extravaganza film set, was raised in a small 300-square-foot chawl, which stands in stark contrast to the opulence he creates on screen. The renowned director recently discussed his blessings and challenges in an interview.
During a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter India, Bhansali shared, “Every artiste has to go through humiliation.If there is no humiliation, there is no anger in you about the wrong or the right that you have gone through. There is no expression. There is nothing you want to say. The expression comes out of angst.”
He further stated how the past has shaped his creativity and shared, “I’ve been very blessed to be born to anguish. I’ve been blessed to be born in that 300 square-feet, colourless chawl. I’ve been blessed to have been born to a father who had left unfulfilled dreams behind because it gives me so much grit that no other filmmaker can find it.”
The filmmaker added, “You have to understand that I am very cursed and very blessed. I’m very loved, and I’m very hated. I’m very successful, and I’m very unsuccessful. That is the contradiction that makes me what I am. I will always continue to be.”
Earlier, during an interview with Galatta Plus, the actor discussed his creative process and shared that his mind is chaotic, shaped by a childhood filled with mental voices and disturbances. His work process is about bringing that chaos into order. He further added that any imbalance in his work completely destabilized him that leads to anger and distress.
According to Bhansali, everything he creates is connected to his childhood experiences. He shared that his mother was a dancer who performed in a cramped space due to their residence in a chawl. In contrast, the heroines depicted in their films dance in expansive settings. The trauma experienced by him has enriched his filmmaking process. He perceives himself as a sensible person; the grunge of his early life has now become an integral part of his visual palette. He often asks himself how to arrange this chaos into order, noting that this staging originates from the disorder of his childhood.
On the work front, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has two projects ‘Love & War’ and ‘Baiju Bawra’ in the pipeline. While ‘Love & War’ will feature Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal in the lead roles, Ranveer Singh will be reportedly seen in ‘Baiju Bawra’.