Ranveer Singh: ‘Sanjay Leela Bhansali nurtures his actors and extracts their very best performances’

Bollywood superstar Ranveer Singh on Monday penned a special note to mark national award-winning filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali's glorious 25 years in Indian cinema. Ranveer Singh dug out two behind-the-scenes pictures which feature him on the sets of his films with the iconic director. Sharing the pictures, he penned a long note in the caption in which he described what working with the legendary filmmaker actually means.

"My bond with SLB is very deep. I have done my best work with Him. He is a master of his craft and a true artist. Whenever you are directed by him you have a tremendous growth spurt as a performer. He challenges you, he pushes you to deliver a performance that's visceral, spirited, and comes from a place deep within you. He enriches and inspires you. He nurtures his actors and extracts their very best performances," Ranveer wrote.

The actor, who had collaborated with Bhansali for the blockbuster films- Goliyon Ki Rasleela Ram-Leela, Bajirao Mastani, and Padmaavat explained that working on a Bhansali film puts an individual in a creative flux, and after the process, one feels like evolution has occurred within him. "He has an ability to raise the stakes of the conflict in shooting a film scene, such that achieving that gold standard, that degree of excellence often feels like moving target, and he makes you feel like hitting that target is a matter of life and death," the 36-year-old superstar wrote.

He further shared that the iconic director pushes one in a way that propels and ensures that "you win this hard-fought battle with your own constructs." The Gully Boy actor shared that Bhansali expands one's bandwidth as a performer, compelling a performer to find new depths within themselves. "His pursuit of excellence is relentless. That's what sets him apart. That's what makes him so great. He is limitless. And His craft is limitless. And when you work with him, you believe that you are limitless," added Ranveer who will reportedly be seen in Baiju Bawra- a Bhansali's film.

Referring to him as the 'master puppeteer', the Befikre actor shared, "I often say working with SLB is like a rite of passage for a creative individual. He brings something out in you that even you didn't know you had and in doing so reveals the real you to your own self." Apart from Ranveer, his superstar wife Deepika Padukone, Ajay Devgn, and Alia Bhatt also congratulated the filmmaker on completing 25 glorious years in Bollywood.

Bhansali made his directorial debut with the film Khamoshi: The Musical in 1996, and since then he has never looked back. He went forward to build a strong legacy of passionate cinema through films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Devdas (2002), and the recent productions -- Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela  (2013), Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Padmaavat (2018).

The dynamic filmmaker's movies are lauded not just for their powerful storytelling and performances but also for their transcendental music, impeccable costumes, grand set designs, signature dance moves, and powerful dialogues. Bhansali has skillfully employed Indian culture and tradition in his movies, capturing cinematic experience in a way never seen before.

Meanwhile, Ranveer, who has treated his fans with some powerful performances in movies, is all set to make his TV debut by hosting Colors' quiz show The Big Picture. Apart from this, the actor will be seen in movies like ‘83, Sooryavanshi, Jayeshbhai Jordaar, Cirkus, the Hindi remake of blockbuster hit Anniyan, and Karan Johar's next directorial venture titled Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani alongside his Gully Boy co-star Alia Bhatt.

On the other hand, Sanjay Leela Bhansali will come up with his much-awaited film Gangubai Kathiawadi starring Alia Bhatt in the lead role. The film that marks Bhansali's first collaboration with Alia is based on the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai written by S Hussain Zaidi.

This project will also see Bhansali Productions collaborating with Jayantilal Gada's Pen India Limited and the reunion of superstar Ajay Devgn and Bhansali after the 1999 iconic film Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam. Gangubai Kathiawadi will release in theatres once the current pandemic situation in the country eases.