After his long-cherished dream, Bajirao Mastani, swept the recently-concluded National Awards with seven wins, Sanjay Leela Bhansali headed to a swish Bandra resto-bar for an impromptu celebration with friends, including the Devdas jodi, Shah Rukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, his Bajirao, Ranveer Singh and Saawariya debutante, Sonam Kapoor, among others.

“Aishwarya, who was among the early birds, greeted him with a warm hug,“ says a guest from the party, adding that 'Paro' left in a few minutes after a quick chat with the filmmaker and his sister, Bela Sehgal.

Ranveer arrived soon after in a Bajirao Tee as a hat-tip to Bhansali and was the 'jaan' of the party with his signature livewire presence. “He went around doling out jhappis and pappis. The film's songs played on loop and when “Malhari“ came on, the reel Maratha warrior jumped down from the bar top to coax Sanjay's ecstatic and ever energetic mom, Leela, to shake a leg with him on the high-octane song. Aditya Pancholi joined him later,“ adds the guest.

Close to Cinderella hour, Bajirao bowed out and the Badshah took over as 'entertainer'. SRK hit the dance floor with “Na Jaane Mere Dil Ko Kya“ and kept returning every time a new song played, doing a “Chaiyya Chaiyya“ with Bajirao Mastani's costume designer Maxima Basu. He even got SLB to shake a leg to a Devdas chartbuster. “After that the duo was engrossed in a long and intense conversation. Shah Rukh was among the last guests to leave with Bhansali,“ informs the guest.

Bhansali's proud mum was seen wiping tears of joy as she chatted with composer Anu Malik. His protégé, Sonam, dropped by briefly, bonding with the original Khoobsurat girl, Rekha. Lady in White, Simi Garewal, also made a rare appearance and the two veteran actresses spent more than an hour at the do. On her way out, Rekha nazar utaroed Sanjay as a parting shot.

Bajirao Mastani was an idea that came to Sanjay Leela Bhansali soon after he finished Devdas. The script was ready in 2003. He tried to make it many times, once after Black, again after Guzaarish, but it didn't happen. Another filmmaker might have let the dream fade away, but he waited 12 years to picturise “Deewani Mastani“ which he'd composed in November 2002. Today, he is proud of his patience.

“Maybe it needed me to be older, wiser, more evolved as a filmmaker, for my hair to turn from back to grey,“ Sanjay laughs, pointing out that K Asif, Manmohan Desai and Muzzafar Ali had shelved their films on the subject. But growing up in a chawl on a diet of Marathi literature, cinema, food and music, for him it was a story which had to be told.

He's fascinated by the Peshwa who'd fought 140 wars and kept Shivaji's dream alive. Whose dilemma after falling in love could be that of an actor or even an aam aadmi, which he handled with dignity. For Sanjay love is the purest emotion a human being can feel. “I tell love stories more lovingly but I don't think you have to be in love to do so,“ he says, admitting it has been his most difficult film and he hasn't worked so hard in 20 years.

“For two years I haven't been to a restaurant or a film. I've been working 18 hours a day, full of anxiety and insecurity trying to achieve what I wanted even if it meant creating everything,“ he reveals, adding that for him creativity is cathartic. “I don't make films for money or to be known as a great entertainer. It's a part of a personal expression, I want to live every moment, every emotion with every character,“ he says passionately, the barks of his canine friend Pinto providing a concerto.

The too-long script has become more compact. And Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Rani Mukerji have made way for Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra. No complaints, his stars have been extremely committed with Ranveer staying bald for over a year. “Yes, I had wanted Salman but things didn't work out. We share a great bond and I know his good wishes are with me. He's beyond all this, has reached cult status,“ asserts Sanjay, admitting that he hasn't seen Prem Ratan Dhan Payo but wants to. “Sooraj (Barjatya) and Salman are my favourite combo and my dear Sonam (Kapoor) is in it.“

Dismissing rumours about a public spat with Salman he adds, “Today, I may not be working with him but I am indebted to Salman for all that he's done for me. If there's any reason for him to be upset, it has to do with me and not him. I've got so much love from my actors, including Aishwarya and Shah Rukh.“

SRK's upcoming film has come out of nowhere to clash with his Bajirao Mastani on December 18 but no grouses. Sanjay points out that they announced their release day when they started. After Shah Rukh's announcement, there was a discussion on how to avoid the clash. But both wanted the same Friday. “They are two different films and I wish both do well. Shah Rukh is a dear friend, I'm in touch with him more than any other actor. I know the intention is not to compete with or destroy us. This is no election campaign,“ he clarifies, with no hint of the infamous SLB temper.

Point this out and he laughs, “I no longer throw phones or scream. Only if something is not right on the set do I ask for an explanation. Grant me that much of passion, don't take that right away from me. Logon ne botal ki botal khatam ki to kuch na hua, hamne thodi si laga li to hungama ho gaya,“ he sighs.

So why the 'fight' with choreographer Remo D'Souza who walked out and returned to complete a song only after three days? Sanjay looks shocked, “Who told you that? Remo went off for a day to shoot his TV show which he was committed to. Filmmakers call him to choreograph western, contemporary songs, I gave him a Marathi folk song, “Pinga“, and I was so happy with his work, I called him again for “Deewani Mastani“. A period film if rightly made cannot go wrong.“

“Pinga“ is being compared to Devdas's “Dola Re Dola“. Sanjay insists he wasn't attempting anything similar. “For me “Pinga“ was a haldi kumkum song and I wanted some drama during the shoot. I wanted Deepika and Priyanka to shout at each other, fight over whose shot was better, who'd goofed up. But the sahelis sat and giggled together after the shot while I wished they were sitting at opposite ends, glaring,“ he guffaws.

He won't say if he's repeating his three actors in his next which starts in January. There's no need for a rejuvenating break, for Sanjay making a film is a vacation and he doesn't want to be away from a camera, frame, dialogue and actors for too long. “I have to make another 25 films, six are dream projects. I've made two - Black and Bajirao Mastani - four remain. I don't want to run out of time. I have to make them before I quit or I'll have to be born again which I wouldn't want,“ he says.

He won't divulge any details but admits he will be producing two-three films next year, one Bela Sehgal's directorial. He shares a great bond with his sister who took him to FTII, to Vinod Chopra and Salman Khan and edited all but his last three films. “I am what I am because of her. When Bela told me she was ready with her script, I immediately told her I'd produce it for her,“ he smiles.

He's equally close to his mother, Leela, who wonders which Bajirao Mastani song she should have as her caller tune and will interrupt him in the middle of a meeting to tell him what the RJ was saying about his film. “She thinks I'm the best son in world, the most good looking, who makes the best movies. She sees the first scene, song, trailer and the first cut,“ he says fondly.

She urged him to make Bajirao Mastani and now that's done, Sanjay wishes he'd made the poignant, subtly nuanced Partition drama, Garm Hava with Balraj Sahani. “But I couldn't have made it. Magic like that only happens once,“ he muses, saying he's influenced by Mehboob Khan, K Asif, V Shantaram and Raj Kapoor. And would like to remake one of his favourite RK films, Ram Teri Ganga Maili. “It's an epic concept of the Ganga flowing down from the hills into the world of corruption. What a vision, what language, what music! And still relevant,“ he raves, in awe of RK's artistry.

He was spotted in Paris sitting in front of the night club, Moulin Rouge working on a film script. The query makes him jump up, “Somebody followed me to Paris? Incredible! I'll have to disguise myself and go to the moon next. Yes, it's true. I went to Paris to direct an opera a month after Sawaariya. Chilling in MoMath, with Moulin Rouge below, rejuvenated me. Now, Paris has become a second home.“

He also admits that Aishwarya and he have met and he'd like to make another film with her. “But don't ask me what?“ he warns, happier to speak about being a part of Marathi cinema's resurgence. He's producing a Swapnil Joshi-Anjana Sukhani starrer and raves about a creative space that the audience values. “I also love Kolkata, Bengali language and music. I want to buy a house there and produce a Bengali film.“

As a producer he wants to make all kind of films he doesn't have time for or can't make, including a small budget film on a social cause. Is a Rowdy Rathore sequel coming up? He confirms the possibility revealing he grew up on films like Chor Machaye Shor and Fakira at Maratha Mandir, Imperial Cinema, Shalimar and Alankar Talkies. He relived the experience watching Rowdy Rathore at Chandan Cinema.“Money was flying, lines being repeated, people dancing to “Dhadang Dang Dang“. I couldn't hear “Pritam Pyaare“ because everyone was screaming. I would be incomplete as a filmmaker if I didn't make a Gabbar, Rowdy Rathore or a Bajirao Mastani. Don't be surprised if I make Rowdy Rathore 2 myself,“ he twinkles and refuses to say anything more.

A Padma Shri is always a good reason for a party and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's sister, Bela Sehgal, threw him a star-studded bash at an upscale restaurant in Bandra. And from Devdas to Ram, from Annie to Mary Kom, his stars were there to toast him.

Surprisingly, Ranveer 'Bajirao' Singh was not in his usual high spirits when the party kicked off. Perhaps he was missing ladylove Deepika Padukone who was out of town. But according to a guest, SLB managed to get the actor out of the dumps pretty soon. And when his Ram-Leela chartbuster, Tattad Tattad, started playing, the bald star took off his shirt and took to the dance floor. The DJ kept playing his songs on the loop and though his Mastani was miles away, Ranveer had Kashi bai for company. Priyanka Chopra jived happily with him to Ram Chahe Leela. Dippy would have perhaps clapped for PeeCee had she been around.

Shah Rukh Khan took time out of his film shoot and dropped by. By now it's an open secret that Bhansali who had worked with SRK in Devdas, had approached him for Bajirao too. “But the past didn't matter to the duo who danced together. SRK also insisted SLB have a glass of wine. The star was also spotted in an intense conversation with Khamoshi star Manisha Koirala and Kangana Ranaut who looked like a bluebell blossoming in spring,“ rhapsodised the guest.

Shruti Haasan, who features in Bhansali's upcoming film Main Gabbar, brought in her 29th birthday at the same bash. “Since it was already midnight, everyone wished her and it became a dual celebration,“ added the source.

“Towards the end, Bhansali made a thank-you speech in which he said that he hadn't known about the party until 9 pm when he was ushered into the nightspot by Bela and designer Shabinaa Khan.“

Shraddha Kapoor, Richa Chadha, Tanve Azmi and Prasoon Joshi (who also got a Padma Shri) were some of the other guests at the party. Karan Johar, who had a bitter feud with SLB over the cast of Shuddhi, stayed away.





Omung Kumar Bhandula, 46, or OK as he was popularly referred to, became a household name after anchoring the show Ek Minute on Zee Television many years ago. He is a happy-go-lucky person, who loves animals, but much like his friend, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, he too is finicky and a control freak.Over an hour-long conversation, ahead of his debut directorial film Mary Kom based on the life of five times World Champion, Mary Kom, he talks to Bombay Times about the perfection-seeking Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the finicky Priyanka Chopra and his dream of making a big name for himself. Excerpts:

You debut as a director with Mary Kom. What is your background?
My parents were both actors from FTII. While my father Vipin Kumar Bhandula was Punjabi, my mother Sabah Vipin Kumar is Parsi. She did not know any Hindi at all and so, in her acting entrance test for FTII, she played a dumb-mute to avoid being caught. So, I was almost born in FTII. My dad and mum could not make it big, so that dream was always there. Right from when I was a child, I was on Doordarshan shows like Magic Lamp and Jack And The Beanstalk as a child artiste. I would always participate in the inter-school acting competition and win it year after year. So, for me, I was clear that I would do something related to this field. My mum got into theatre and that became my love. I then studied commercial art at Bandra School of Arts, which is also where I met my wife Vanita. I then joined the advertising agency HTA as art director and worked with them for 12 years. In parallel, I also modelled for some of the brands I was working on, like Godrej and Ponds. I also started designing backdrops for launch conferences. Zee TV had just started. Tarun Chopra had just moved there from HTA into their film department and was looking for a host for a programme called Ek Minute. That was the biggest thing that happened to me. Ek Minute became one of the biggest programmes on Indian television apart from Antakshari and I, a household name, where people would often see me and address me as OK (my abbreviation of Omung Kumar) from Ek Minute. I parallelly started dating Vanita that time. After TV, I started designing major sets for events and then graduated to designing film set for films like Jhankaar Beats, Chameli, Black, Shabd, Yuvvraaj and Saawariya, among others. I then met Sanjay Leela Bhansali through his sister Bela.

Mary Kom is not a Sanjay Leela Bhansali kind of subject. Why did he agree to produce it?
I always wanted to be an actor, but went behind the scenes. As an art director, I had worked with so many first-time directors that they landed up treating me as a senior and taking my view, as a result, I got exposed to filmmaking. I would be thrilled every time I contributed a little. While I never assisted formally, I had learnt photography and knew costumes and makeup. As an actor myself, I could tell an actor what to do, so, I decided to direct a film myself. While I could not take up Guzaarish as I had decided to direct my own film, but I had to do Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi for Bela as I could not say a no to her. I have worked with many directors but Sanjay's detailing is unparalleled. He makes every frame picture-perfect and I always thought that if I ever made a film, I would make it like him. A film larger-than-life, over-the-top Moulin Rouge style, but then I realised no one would take me seriously as a newcomer. Sanjay is too finicky and is not easy to work with. But if you know him, you will know what he is expecting from you and what he doesn't like. I love the fact that he is seeking perfection and makes you work harder.Working with him made me a better art director. But when I met Sanjay, he asked me what I was doing and I told him that I was making a film on Mary Kom that was just not his type. He heard one line of the script and said, “I will produce it.“ And he said, “I want to produce it as it is just not your type of script and therefore you will strive more to make it happen.“ I have watched Sanjay closely over the years direct his actors. He likes to do everything on his own, be it the background score or costumes, and that is what I learnt from him. I too am like that and cannot trust anybody and am finicky too.

You thought of making a film much before the last Olympics when Mary Kom became a celebrity. How did that happen?
I was sitting on two super scripts, but even though many of the stars were my friends, I knew that they would not work with me as I had no credentials as a director. So, I decided to make a female-oriented biopic. For me, it is mandatory to watch a film every single day at night from 1 to 4 in the morning. I cannot sleep without that. I get touched by zero-to-hero films, which also attract me. My writer Saiwyn researched several names before he came up with Mary Kom, five times World Champion from Manipur, India. I started reading about her and was touched by her story and found it very fascinating. I decided to go and meet Mary to seek her permission in Imphal. I was waiting for her to come and meet us at the sole hotel there. After a while, she walked in alone wearing a black skirt with slits and her huge bumblebee sunglasses. I was thinking in my mind, “God I am thinking of making a film on her?“ Onler had not come as he was taking care of the kids. I told her that I wanted to make a movie on her and she thought I was mad, but somehow we clicked, and she said yes. Before leaving, I signed her on and bought her rights to make the film.

Talk about Priyanka Chopra?
I know Priyanka from ages as we have done so many movies and stage shows together. She too is very finicky. She would always tell me, “Omung my performance has to be the best, my stage has to be the best.“ She was my first preference to play Mary Kom. This film means a lot to her also as this is the first time she is in a biopic, that too of a boxer in and as Mary Kom. She never goes to even the gym and in this, she has trained and learnt boxing. She gives her 101% and is fun to work with.I know her and she is my friend, so I did not mind it, but she wants to take control and sometimes gets hyper. As people, Sanjay, Priyanka and I like to take control. She told me that playing Mary Kom was a dream role, but that she was doing it for me as a friend. I am really grateful to her for doing it for me as a newcomer.

Talk about your wife Vanita?
My wife is my backbone. We like the same things. She also is a controlling person like me, but I am the one who backs out in case we differ on some thing. What I like the most about her is that unlike me who is careful before I speak, she speaks her mind. She is open, likes having fun and loves gifting. She is a Santa Claus, who is extremely loving. What she likes the most about me is my drive to do and my kindness.

Who do you love the most in the world?
My mother. We were a well-off joint family, but my parents really did not make it. My dad struggled throughout his life and even though we lived in a joint family, he was not earning money. My mum too was always strapped for money, but unlike my dad, she compromised and started teaching acting in a school to make some basic money. My dad's sister's kids had money but I didn't. So, for me, the second-hand cycle my parents bought for Rs 300 is what I treasured. People like Shatrughan Sinha had lived in our house when he first came to Mumbai as he was from my dad's batch of FTII. Due to my dad's frustration in not being able to make it, he took to drinking and finally died as a result when I was just 19. When my dad died, the responsibilities all of a sudden fell on me. That is the reason I don't smoke or drink at all. My mum was always an inspiration for me and I always wanted to become something for her. My mum today stays with my younger brother and his wife, even though she is most attached to me mentally. In one way, some of her dreams are not realised and she is living her life through me.

For her, this movie means a lot to her, even probably more than me. My mother even today likes to be self-sufficient and I get my energy from her. More than money or any other thing, I aspire to make a big name for myself. It is satisfying today that I am the most successful person in my family and I love it when I get a call from my mother telling me how today they talk about me the most within the family. I have dedicated my film to her as I have never talked about her before.