‘Angry Sanjay Leela Bhansali would hurl objects at me if I moved even slightly': Sooraj Pancholi recalls experience as SLB's assistant on Guzaarish
Actor Sooraj Pancholi, who assisted filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali on the film Guzaarish, recalled the experience. He said that he was the sixth or seventh assistant on the Hrithik Roshan and Aishwarya Rai-starrer, and had got the job as a teenager. Sooraj, the son of actors Zarina Wahab and Aditya Pancholi, lives in the same building as Bhansali. But, he said in a new interview, he no longer feels worthy of working with him. 'I'll approach him only for a lead role, and that too when I make a name for himself,' he said. Over the years, several of Bhansali's past collaborators have opened up about his temper.
Appearing on the Hindi Rush podcast, he was asked about his experience on the film Guzaarish. 'I would get scolded a lot, perhaps more than anyone else. I was the last AD, so I got a lot of gaalis from him. My job was also to sit on Hrithik sir's seat for lighting, and if you look left or right, a file would come flying at you. Not a mic… I learnt a lot. It's like how a mother is with her son. Agar do padenge nahi toh beta seekhega nahi (If you don't get smacked, you won't learn),' he said.
Also read – 'They locked me up in Ajmal Kasab's jail cell': Sooraj Pancholi opens up about incarceration despite protests from his PR
He said that he lives on the second floor, while Bhansali lives on the fourth floor of the same building. Asked if he has ever approached the filmmaker for an acting role, he said, 'No. I'll only approach him for work when I feel worthy, when I feel like I've made a name for himself. I'm not going to approach him for a side role, I'll only approach him for a lead role.' He said that he got the job as his assistant after having a chance encounter with Bhansali.
Several others have made similar comments about Bhansali in the past. At an event in 2021, Ranbir Kapoor had accused Bhansali of being physically violent with him when they worked together on Black. 'When I assisted Mr (Sanjay Leela) Bhansali (on Black), he used to really treat me as an assistant director. I used to be kneeling down for hours, he used to hit us, he used to abuse us… that only hardens you and prepares you for the world,' he said. He later told Neha Dhupia that he would never work with Bhansali again, but he changed his stance later, and they're now working together on Love & War.
In an interview with India Today, Bhansali addressed complaints about his temper, and said, 'If I'm not getting what I want, even if I lose my temper, what is wrong in it? If you're not getting a shot, and if someone is spoiling it, what will you do? People have made stories that I'm angry, that I'm badly behaved…'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
'It's funny when people talk only about South industries being rooted': Vishnu Manchu says Bollywood films are also rooted, takes 'Stree 2' and Chaaava as examples
Actor Vishnu Manchu has recently addressed the ongoing discussion about South Indian films staying rooted in culture and values, while Hindi films are often criticised for lacking such realism. Vishnu called for a more inclusive perspective that acknowledges the strength of all film industries, including Bollywood. In a recent conversation with India Today, Manchu addressed the growing perception that only South Indian films remain true to their cultural roots. Vishnu Manchu says Hindi films are also deeply rooted "It's very funny when people talk only about the four South industries being rooted. Malayalam has always been rooted — they've been far ahead in storytelling. Tamil cinema too has very native, rooted subjects. Telugu and Kannada industries have that as well, but they tend to be more glamorous in their presentation," he said. Manchu cautioned against diminishing the efforts and achievements of Hindi films in this space. He remarked, "People forget that even Hindi cinema has delivered some deeply rooted films that have done phenomenally well. One of the films is Stree 2, and then Chhaava, which have done phenomenally well," he stated. The 'Mosagallu' actor further mentioned 'PK', 'Dangal', and 'Munnabhai MBBS' as incredible Bollywood films that are deeply rooted in culture. Vishnu Manchu On 'Kannappa': Prabhas, Mohanlal & Akshay Join Forces | South vs North Debate 'Stale'? Criticism from media He also took a moment to critique the recurring narrative that Bollywood is in decline, stating that this view often overshadows the industry's successes. In his opinion, the Hindi media has been harsh towards Bollywood and emphasised that the industry is not performing as poorly as people claim. He admitted that there is a dull phase, but people forget to celebrate the glorious releases and instead constantly harp on what didn't work. Manchu further explained that the nature of the film business is unpredictable across regions and not just limited to one industry. He highlighted that all film industries — including Telugu, Tamil, and Hindi — face similar challenges, with only 15–20% of films succeeding globally. The combined success of South films may appear larger, but each industry struggles individually. About Kannappa Vishnu Manchu is currently gearing up for the release of 'Kannappa', which is slated to hit theatres on June 27. Check out our list of the latest Hindi , English , Tamil , Telugu , Malayalam , and Kannada movies . Don't miss our picks for the best Hindi movies , best Tamil movies, and best Telugu films .
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Why did ex-Biden press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre leave the Democratic Party? She lists startling reasons
Karine Jean-Pierre , who was the press secretary of President Joe Biden at the White House, has now left the Democratic Party . She now calls herself an independent and says Americans should think outside political parties, as per reports. Jean-Pierre is writing a book about this, the book is called 'Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines' and it will come out in October. The book says America's two-party system is broken. Jean-Pierre made her decision after a tough three-week period where Biden decided not to run again and the Democratic Party betrayed him, as per The Hill report. The book asks Americans to vote based on their own values, not just party loyalty. Jean-Pierre is 50 years old. She also worked for President Obama and was the first Black and openly LGBTQ person to become White House press secretary. According to the reports, she says there's been a lot of fake news and lies in recent elections, and she wants to fight that with truth and strong ideas. On Instagram, she said people often ask her, 'How do we fix this mess? How do we save democracy and help vulnerable people?, and her book is her answer. She said we should stop being stuck in political boxes and work together, no matter what political party we belong to. She said, 'If you respect me and the communities I care about, I'll stand with you, even if you're not a Democrat', according to The Hill report. Live Events FAQs Q1. Why did Karine Jean-Pierre leave the Democratic Party? She felt the party betrayed Biden and believes the system is broken. Q2. What is Karine Jean-Pierre's book about? It's about why she left her party and how to make politics better.
Hindustan Times
3 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Abhishek Banerjee, Rana Daggubati react to row over Kamal Haasan's Kannada comment: ‘Same about Marathi-Bihari…'
Actor Kamal Haasan finds himself in the midst of a language row ahead of the release of his film Thug Life. The Mani Ratnam-directed film has been barred from release in Karnataka, with Kamal doubling down and not apologising for a statement he made on Kannada being born out of Tamil. Recently, the Karnataka HC slammed his statement and called him out for not apologising. In an interview with India Today, Rana Daggubati and Abhishek Banerjee, however, said this when asked about it. (Also Read: 'I thank the people of Tamil Nadu for supporting me': Kamal Haasan in 1st press meet after Kannada language row) When asked to comment on Kamal's language row, Rana questioned why actors are being looked up to for the way society lives instead of scholars or politicians. He said, 'Now, social media has become a place to make an opinion. Earlier, you didn't have that. Anything gets touchy and political quite quickly. If the media and the news, and people become smarter (and understand) that actors are not the ones to advocate for the way society lives - it will be a better place. I think you should look at scholars, politicians and learned men and women to lead a way into society.' His Rana Naidu co-star Abhishek also agreed with Rana and compared it to the Marathi-Bihari conflict in Maharashtra and said, 'When I came to Bombay many years back, I heard the same thing about the Marathi-Bihari and Kannada-Tamil conflict, which has been going on. I feel it's completely worthless and useless. People who don't have anything better to do, will just try and get attention while doing this.' He also stated that language is great when used to educate people and cultivate culture, rather than to cause divide. Thug Life will be released across the country on 5 June except for Karnataka. It remains to be seen if the move will affect its box office collections.
