Trip Down Memory Lane: ‘SRK And I Will Work Together Again’
Says Sanjay Leela Bhansali on 12 years of ‘Devdas’
In a tete-a-tete, Sanjay Leela Bhansali talks about what went behind making the 2002 film with Subhash K. Jha.
Q On receiving standing ovation from audience for Devdas in 2002...
It is something I will never forget. When I decided to make a new version of Sarat Chandra Chatterjee’s romantic classic Devdas, little did I know what I was getting into. Though the whole experience of recreating the romantic classic with Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit was infinitely fulfilling, the sheer idea of doing a new version of the classic novel had the purists up in arms even before the film could be released.
Q There were apprehensions that no one would watch a movie with a loser hero....
Devdas was not a loser. He was a thinker, an artiste and poet who was doomed in love. Shah Rukh Khan was perfect as Devdas.
Q More perfect than Dilip Kumar in Bimal Roy’s Devdas?
There is no similarity between the two except that both characters come from the same literary source. Even Shah Rukh acknowledged Dilip Saab’s Devdas was untouchable.You can’t imagine the level of commitment of Shah Rukh, Madhuri Dixit, Aishwarya Rai and the rest of the cast. Every time there was a problem, they were enthused into working even harder. I couldn’t have expected more from them.
Q On encountering fire on set and financial setbacks...
Yes, we did have major problems. But that was the test of our strength. These hurdles made us want to do better and better. Even on the day after the fire, all of us shot with Madhuri and Jackie without missing a beat. It was as though all of us had resolved in our minds to overcome the problems and work harder. Tell me which film doesn’t face problems? Look at the scale of my film.
Q Why haven’t Shah Rukh and you come together after Devdas?
What makes you think we won’t come together again? We have remained close friends since Devdas. I will tell you a secret. We had almost finalized a subject for Shah Rukh and Salman Khan together. But that didn’t work out. We will be working together soon.
