Sanjay Leela Bhansali
I gave everything I had to give to 'Devdas.' I knew I would never make a better love story because there is none.
'Jhalak' was a wonderful experience, but it was important for me to get back to films, since I am a director too.
Bad behaviour on TV is quite nauseating and putting off.
I work like a dog.
I feel it is important to respect contestants on national TV, celebrity or not.
All the pain, suffering, love, passion, and conflict have made me what I am.
My art completes my life.
Every time I read it, I realised 'Bajirao Mastani' must be made. It's such a powerful screenplay.
There was no fear of failure when I made 'Bajirao Mastani.'
I am a fearless filmmaker.
Audiences want to see something interesting. It doesn't matter which genre or period it belongs to.
I don't think the physical resemblance is as important as capturing the soul of the person that the actor is portraying. How much like Charlie Chaplin did Robert Downey Jr. look in 'Chaplin?' Did Meryl Steep actually resemble Nora Ephron in 'Heartburn?'
My mother was my pillar of strength.
I have been fascinated by Rani Padmavati from my childhood.
One can't allow oneself to be bullied into abandoning one's dream.
I believe in 'Black' as much as I believe in 'Bajirao Mastani.'
If you compromise in the casting it is bound to expose eventually.
I write all my scripts with Salman in mind. He understands me perfectly on the sets.
If I am aware of my own limitations, then I can work towards overcoming them.
To me, love means being free of your own bondage and connecting to another soul.
When you don't have to say 'I love you,' when you don't have to prove your love by singing a song, or express it through the body, that's two souls connecting.
Some of the most beautiful people, to me, are those with the wrong geometry. Mother Teresa is extremely beautiful and not because she is a saint. Her characteristics are very strange, and that is what generates the power she had.
Bollywood works as hard as regional cinema makers.
I have grown up watching films in single screens where people would get up and dance in the aisles. With 'Rowdy Rathore,' I want to recreate the same magic.
After 'Saawariya,' I retreated into a shell.
With 'Guzaarish' I went through a catharsis.
I can't begin to describe how humiliating it is for a law-abiding citizen to be cross-examined in a court of law for a crime he hasn't committed.
I cannot be casual about my work.
I'm the most fun-loving guy.
People might think that I'm inaccessible, unapproachable, and dark. In many ways, my characters are uncomfortable to interact with, but that's not me.
I am the hardest working director.
Show me one director who does not get angry on their assistant for something that has gone wrong. But it is done out of my love. It's just fun when I tell them to face a wall and stand or kneel down in a corner. It's not like I want to punish them harshly. It's not to humiliate; it is to teach.
It's pure joy to see some people who've never had the chance to live their dream, come on stage, and let loose.
My movies are personal notes of my whole life.
There was one mistake in 'Devdas,' but I won't ever tell anyone what it was.
I am not indulgent. I think constructing a scene elaborately - with art, costume, and visual drama - is not indulgence. Other people should do it, too.
I love humour, and I can laugh at myself.
Shah Rukh made 'Devdas' for me, and I made it for him. He's special to me, and I think I am special for him. We are and will always be good friends.
Not every work of art connects with the audience.
I faced failure with my first film, 'Khamoshi.' All of us have our highs and lows, except Lata Mangeshkar.
What upset me was that after 'Saawariya,' which came after the awards and rewards of 'Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam,' 'Devdas' and 'Black,' I was written off, almost hounded out of the industry.
My life revolves around music.
The first thing I do after I wake up is switch on the music player and the last thing I do before going to sleep is stop it.
I need music while taking a bath. I need it in the car.
If you take away music from me, I'll die.
I was always a flaky child.
I am not popular socially. I am uncomfortable around people.
I never liked being told what to do, so even in school plays, I never liked being an actor.
I reveal myself in my movies.