Actor Shekhar Suman recently stepped forward to defend his "Heeramandi" director, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, against accusations of being short-tempered and having anger management issues.
Bhansali, known for his grand cinematic vision, is gearing up for his digital debut with "Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar." His meticulous approach to filmmaking has often led to questions about his interactions with the cast and crew.
Speaking with Sidharth Kannan, Suman addressed the rumors about Bhansali's temperament. He remarked, “How does it matter (if he’s short-tempered)? He has every right to be. Why does he get angry? He’s not a madman, but he is a perfectionist. You will always notice that perfectionists are short-tempered because they get impatient with everybody else for not being at their level.”
Drawing parallels, Suman cited renowned directors from the past, stating, “There are many legends in their craft who are also short-tempered, like K Asif, Mehboob Khan, and Raj Kapoor.”
Further supporting Bhansali, Suman said that any criticism directed towards him is inconsequential. He added, “In fact, I would want him to be even angrier, considering what we’re getting in return. Look at what he’s creating, not only for us but for posterity.”
Ranbir Kapoor, who debuted with Bhansali's "Saawariya," shared his experience of working with the director during his assistant days on "Black." In a 2016 interview with Neha Dhupia, Kapoor recalled, “He (Bhansali) was a hard task-master and I was kneeling down on set, he was beating me… after a point it got so heavy and I felt so tortured that I had to quit the film at a point… He got too much, went crazy as far as I was concerned.”
Salman Khan also weighed in on Bhansali's working style during an interview with Rajshri. Recounting his experiences, Khan said, “He was yelling… and apparently he does that a lot. I told him to go and hang with Sooraj for a bit. He is throwing things… He told me, ‘Yeah, I am losing it.’ I said the first thing you do (is keep patience). Taj Mahal is made out of love. Mohabbat karte ho tab banta hai, nafrat se nahi (Taj Mahal is made out of love, not out of resentment).”
Addressing these perceptions, Bhansali himself clarified during a "Heeramandi" event last year. He refuted the claims of being a taskmaster, attributing the narrative to media portrayal. He explained, “We just sit over there and find a moment which emerges out of discussion and conversation which means that I use their mind and they use my mind, we all get together and that moment of magic comes to us, which I then take credit for and say that I created the magic.”