Sanjay Leela Bhansali Birthday Special: From ‘Devdas’ to ‘Padmaavat’, have a look at some of the best movies of filmmaker.
Born on February 24, 1963, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is one of the most acclaimed filmmakers in Bollywood.
A director, screenwriter, producer and music composer, Bhansali is a recipient of numerous awards like National Film Awards, Filmfare awards, etc. He also has a BAFTA nomination to his name. In 2015, the Government of India honoured him with the Padma Shri, the fourth highest civilian award.
Bhansali made his directorial debut with the romantic musical ‘Khamoshi: The Musical’. He rose to prominence with ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’, ‘Devdas’, for which he received a nomination in BAFTA.
He got much acclaim for his adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela’.
His period dramas ‘Bajirao Mastani’ and ‘Padmaavat’, both rank among the highest-grossing Indian films of all time.
Bhansali will celebrate his 59th birthday and also is gearing up to the release of his much-awaited movie ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’.
Here are some of his best movies:
Devdas
This classic was based on a novel by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Being one of the grandest movies in Indian cinema, Devdas became India’s official entry to the Oscars in 2002. In the film, Bhansali used muted palettes to depict Devdas’ self-destructive tendencies. He also used bright green, blue, red and gold hues in his sets to perfectly showcase feelings of love and romance. Be it the dazzling outfits of Madhuri Dixit-Nene’s Chandramukhi in sequences when she is falling in love with Shah Rukh Khan or the dull tone cast over the final scene of the film, Bhansali laboured over every little detail to create an emotional masterpiece.
Bajirao Mastani
This movie rightly speaks of extravagance. From gorgeous set designs to spell-binding war sequences, Bhansali captivated its audience to the final take of the movie. This period-movie featured Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Ranveer Singh in the lead. According to reports, the Aaina Mahal in the film was made using over 20,000 designed mirrors that were handpicked from Jaipur along with 13 chandeliers. The magnum opus went on to bag nine Filmfare awards and also become the highest-grossing film of the year.
Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela
This movie was inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. It was beautifully created for an audience who love a mix of passion and intense enmity. This film can be considered one of Bhansali’s best visually-pleasing dramas. Lead actors Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh were much loved and adored for their on-screen chemistry.
Padmaavat
The story is about a Rajput queen known for her beauty, wife of Maharawal Ratan Singh. Sultan Alauddin Khilji, hears of her beauty and attacks her kingdom to enslave her. The movie stars Shahid Kapoor, Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh in lead roles.
Gangubai Kathiawadi
Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s upcoming film will release in theatres a day after his birthday (25 February). The film features Alia Bhatt as the lead who essays the role of a sex worker. The movie revolves around how this sex worker rose to political power and prominence in a red-light district in Mumbai’s Kamathipura. Along with Alia, the movie also stars Ajay Devgan, as a mafia don Karim Lala. This film is an adaptation of Indian author Hussain Zaidi’s highly acclaimed book Mafia Queens of Mumbai.
By line: Divya Thearia