His movie canvas and splendour can transcend time. His characters exude uninhibited passion and desire. Sanjay Leela Bhansali doesn’t miss a beat when it comes to capturing human emotions and presenting them in the most visually enchanting manner. His debut film as a director — Khamoshi: The Musical, released 25 years ago on August 9 and thereon, it has been a daring dream run for the director, widely respected for his artistic vision and pursuit of excellence. In conversation with Bombay Times, he looks back at his fascinating journey and what lies ahead. Excerpts…

It has been an incredible 25 years, indeed! In all the movies I have made so far, every moment has been heartfelt — the colours you see on the wall, the songs, the background, every thread on every costume, every dialogue, the lighting, every carving and architecture had a lot of thought that went into it. That is why I like to call them ‘handmade films’.

These handmade films would not have been possible without the effort of every person behind the movie who has put in their hard work. I have had the great fortune of working with wonderful people and fantastic talents. This journey would not have been the same without them and I would like to thank every technician, actor, artist, writer, producer and assistant director that has been with me through all the nine films I have made so far. They are the real backbone of my movies and it is this fabulous team of people who make the final product that you see on screen.

Till date, every single time I set foot on a film set, I get goosebumps. An empty studio to me is what a blank canvas is to a painter. I itch to paint it with my vision. More than anything else, it is this irreplaceable spark that keeps my filmmaking drive alive.

I make my movies with all my heart and soul. I leave no stone unturned to bring to life exactly what I see in my mind’s eye. Till I am satisfied with what I want on the floor, I cannot go ahead and shoot my scene. It is mostly my passion that people misunderstand and give me the tag of a taskmaster. At the end of the day, it is their lens that they are looking through and I cannot control what they see through that lens; all I can do is satisfy my unending passion for filmmaking. I don’t take creative conflicts personally. When I am on the set, it is my sacred sanctuary and I treat it with the highest regard and expect the same from everyone who is working with me on that project.

My biggest life lesson has been unabashed self-awareness. It is my awareness of my own limitations that can help me in overcoming them — both as a filmmaker and a person. Not only does it help me as a filmmaker to understand emotions on a deeper level, this self-awareness also makes me a better person.

I love writing fierce women characters that are strong-headed, iron-willed and soft-hearted at the same time. I am greatly influenced by my mother when it comes to writing female characters. She had a certain devoted demeanour when it came to my father. She was vulnerable, but not naïve. In fact, vulnerability was her greatest strength. A dancer, she was fierce, yet graceful. I have magnified my image of her a billion-fold and projected her on to my canvas — not always, but sometimes. In some of my female characters, you will only see a glimpse of my mother, whereas characters like Leela in Ram-Leela are fully reminiscent of my mother.

To me, filmmaking is more about an art than the number game. I don’t project a budget on to my passion when I’m making a movie. When I’m on the floor, I’m often inspired to shift things around. In that moment, I’m motivated by my art. I don’t think about how much it will cost. How can I put a price on what I love?

Gangubai Kathiawadi (upcoming film starring Alia Bhatt) is a very special film to me. It has not been easy. We made it during the pandemic, and I have given it my all. I can’t wait to share it with everyone.