‘Would Sit And Cry’: Sanjay Leela Bhansali Recalls Ranbir Kapoor’s Performance In Saawariya Climax

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Saawariya which released in 2007 was Ranbir Kapoor’s first film. He starred opposite Sonam Kapoor in this film, which was based on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s 1848 short novel White Nights. In his recent interview, the filmmaker recalled how dedicatedly Ranbir had worked on the climax scene Of Saawariya. Bhansali said that Ranbir performed the scene at a stretch of seven minutes and there was absolute silence on the set. He also mentioned that he became emotional while watching the actor perform.

During an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Sanjay Leela Bhansali discussed allowing his actors to perform their characters in their own unique way. In this context, he recalled Ranbir’s performance in the climax of Saawariya. Bhansali stated, “It’s one of the favourite pieces of mine of what an actor can do.. of 7 minutes of complete silence. The way he performed, magic in one shot. And I would sit there and just cry and watch him because I realized he was an actor. There’s a good boy, bad boy, nice person, bad person, nothing. He is a great actor.” The filmmaker added that an artist should never be good or bad. The art should be pure, and the source from where it stems and emerges should also be pure. He believes that purity will reach the viewers.

In the same interaction, Sanjay Leela Bhansali also praised Alia Bhatt for her transformation into Gangubai for Gangubai Kathiawadi, despite first doubting her abilities. The director of Bajirao Mastani remarked that the National Award-winning actress was unsure whether she would be able to meet his expectations because she was unfamiliar with the character.

Furthermore, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is all set to work with Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor again on Love and War. The film will also star Vicky Kaushal. During the interview, the filmmaker has stated that this project is challenging, and that he intends to put everything into it. The epic love triangle is set to arrive in March 2026, and fans are already buzzing with excitement. This will mark Ranbir and Bhansali’s collaboration after 18 years.

Sanjay Leela Bhasali has delivered memorable films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Padmaavat and Bajirao Mastani. He last directed the popular web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar for Netflix.