Sanjay Leela Bhansali Is Very Fond Of Me: Heeramandi Actor Sonakshi Sinha

Sonakshi Sinha is making waves on OTT platforms. Post her 'Dahaad' release and now Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Heeramandi', the actor has a lot to take in.

Sinha is making waves on OTT platforms. Post her 'Dahaad' release and now Sanjay Leela Bhansali's 'Heeramandi', the actor has a lot to take in. sonakshi sinha plays Fareedan in 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar'. In an interaction with Hindustan Times, sonakshi sinha shared her experience of working with Bhansali, the song sequence 'Tilasmi Bahein' for which she has received so much praise.

Sonakshi Sinha on ‘Heeramandi’ director Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Sharing her experience of working with filmmaker Sanja Leela Bhansali, Sonakshi shared, "Sanjay sir has always been very fond of me. He has produced a film of mine, called Rowdy Rathore, which was released in 2012. It was my second film! As a producer, he is very non-interfering, and because he is a filmmaker himself, he gives another director absolute freedom to make a film how he wants to. So over there, it was not much of an interaction but I remember he was always very fond of me. "

Sinha added that over the years, she and the filmmaker had tried to collaborate, but for some reason, things could not work out. "I am really glad that he came to me with this character and this series. It is his biggest project to date," she added.

Heaping praises on Bhansali, she said, "As a filmmaker, he is someone who brings out the best in you. He is someone who appreciates and nurtures talent, who is excitable like a child when he sees an actor living out his vision. I was a little bit on the edge before because I didn't know how he would be and I had heard how he pushes people to their limits I am the opposite in my style of work as I am easy-breezy. I know how particular and focused he is on perfection. I didn't know how we were both going to work together, but I kid you not, it was meant to be!"

Sonakshi Sinha on Tilasmi Bahein

Sonakshi Sinha has also performed in a one-take song 'Tilasmi Bahein', which is one long sequence of a song. Sinha shared that despite prepping for the song for a long time, everything changed at the last minute when Bhansali thought of shooting the song in one take.

"I was not prepared at all! He changed the whole choreography on set! I had rehearsed for something completely different and we had kept four days aside to shoot that particular song. We went for the shoot on the first day and we shot for a few hours and I did the choreography which was planned. Suddenly he got up and was like, ‘I don’t want to do this! I want to shoot the whole song in one take and let us design it right now!'

Sharing that she did not have time to prepare and had to learn the whole song with lyrics. Sinha also added that four takes of the song were done but the final song is the first take. "That's what I went in and did, and we did four takes but the take that you see is the first take that we did!"

"I don't know how it happened, that day was just magical! I still can't believe it and once that first take was over, the entire set broke into a standing ovation, including Sanjay sir! I don't think I have seen him so happy and ecstatic ever! Even he couldn't believe it and he was like, ‘You don’t know what you have done! You don't know what caliber of an actor you are!' I was like, ‘Is this man going all out in his praise for me!’ I couldn't believe it, it was just magical. It is the beauty of when an actor and director are so much in sync with each other and they create something Bahg beautiful." Sinha recalled.

'Heeramandi' will stream on Netflix from May 1, 2024.