I reveal myself in my movies.
— Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Every director, actor, and even producer gets angry on the sets. Why am I the only one being singled out for losing my cool or being talked about vis-a-vis my anger?
Life is not only about dark nights; it's also about beautiful, sunshiny mornings.
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 faced failure with my first film, 'Khamoshi.' All of us have our highs and lows, except Lata Mangeshkar.
I love humour, and I can laugh at myself.
My movies are personal notes of my whole life.
I am the hardest working director.
I cannot be casual about my work.
After 'Saawariya,' I retreated into a shell.
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.
If I am aware of my own limitations, then I can work towards overcoming them.
Friendship and loyalty shouldn't come in the way of casting.
I have been fascinated by Rani Padmavati from my childhood.
Did Robert De Niro actually look like Al Capone in 'The Untouchables?' Or did Van Kilmer look like Jim Morrison in 'The Doors?' No. It's the core, the essence of the personality that matters.
I am a fearless filmmaker.
My art completes my life.
I never liked being told what to do, so even in school plays, I never liked being an actor.
My mind was never into school, and education did not matter to me.
If you take away music from me, I'll die.
My life revolves around music.
Not every work of art connects with the audience.
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.
It's pure joy to see some people who've never had the chance to live their dream, come on stage, and let loose.
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 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 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.
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.
I write all my scripts with Salman in mind. He understands me perfectly on the sets.
I believe in 'Black' as much as I believe in 'Bajirao Mastani.'
My mother was my pillar of strength.
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?'
There was no fear of failure when I made 'Bajirao Mastani.'
All the pain, suffering, love, passion, and conflict have made me what I am.
I am not popular socially. I am uncomfortable around people.
I was always a flaky child.
I need music while taking a bath. I need it in the car.
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.
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.
There was one mistake in 'Devdas,' but I won't ever tell anyone what it was.
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.
I'm the most fun-loving guy.
With 'Guzaarish' I went through a catharsis.
Bollywood works as hard as regional cinema makers.
To me, love means being free of your own bondage and connecting to another soul.
If you compromise in the casting it is bound to expose eventually.
One can't allow oneself to be bullied into abandoning one's dream.
I think suffering has always been an incentive for my creativity.
Audiences want to see something interesting. It doesn't matter which genre or period it belongs to.
Every time I read it, I realised 'Bajirao Mastani' must be made. It's such a powerful screenplay.
