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Acclaimed filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is set to captivate audiences with his upcoming magnum opus Love and War, starring Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal. Amidst speculation that the film is a remake of Raj Kapoor’s classic Sangam, Bhansali recently set the record straight.
During an interaction with Anupama Chopra of The Hollywood Reporter India, SLB was asked if Love and War is a ‘reworking’ of Sangam. The director replied, “Not at all. I love Sangam. I have watched it. Dil De Chuke Sanam is also like Sangam. I tried to make Aishwarya Rai into Vyjayanthi Mala from Sangam. Vyjayanthimala is the biggest ever star, the most beautiful woman on the Indian screen ever, according to me.”
He added, “So many had seen her in other works, but nobody had seen her as beautifully as Raj Kapoor had seen. Nobody had seen Zeenat Aman as beautifully as Raj Kapoor had seen. Nobody had seen Padmini Kolhapure as beautifully as Raj Kapoor had seen. I have never met him (Raj Kapoor). I wish I had met him for five minutes. I would have taken so much more because I am a sponge…That’s how I understand my actors also. Quickly, I assimilate and put them into my system and then rework.”
Talking about Love and War, Bhansali asserted, “It is not Sangam… with all my love for Raj Kapoor… you never remake a great man, a great director’s classic. How do you remake Mughal-e-Azam or Sangam? Or remake Paakezah?” The filmmaker then drew parallels with his own tribute to Kamal Amrohi’s Paakezah, Heeramandi. “Heeramandi is my love for Kamal Amrohi. He knew what beauty was. He knew what life was in those banquets and those beautiful kothas.”
“But those are the great people (whose work) you can’t remake. You should not remake Sholay. You should not remake Mother India. So why would I remake Sangam?,” SLB added.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali further opened up on why Love and War is taking so long to make and how it is different from his other films which are mainly period dramas. He shared, “I think it is a film that I am very excited about. It is a very very special film because it is now not in the period. There are no pillars, no more costumes, no more horses. It is contemporary, it is different. The music is different. I am enjoying doing it. I have got wonderful actors.”
Bhansali also shared how excited he is to be reuniting with Ranbir Kapoor after 18 years for Love and War. The actor-director duo first worked together on Saawariya (2007) and reportedly had a fall out on the sets of the film.
“After 18 years, Ranbir and I are working together. Alia and I have just worked. I can’t stop working with Alia because still there is so much to be said through her. Still so much is left to tap in the ‘chhota packet bada dhamaka’ girl that she is. Vicky Kaushal, this is the first time I am working with him. More than wonderful actors, they are also wonderful people. The love that I have for them, the love that they have for me so far is very very good.
“And, I think relationships change, everything changes in life, so I am looking forward to the film. It is a very important film in my life. For this one, I am really raring to go. But it is a difficult film for me, so I’ll take a little time to make it properly, carefully. I don’t (want to) take myself for granted, don’t take my great actors for granted, don’t take my audience for granted. It’s a lot of responsibility, so you have to do it well,” the filmmaker concluded.
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