Sanjay Leela Bhansali Exploded On Alia Bhatt During ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ Shoot

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali opened up recently about when he exploded on the sets of ‘Gangubai Kathiwadi’ to inspire actress Alia Bhatt’s performance. He said that he doesn't like to give direct and detailed instructions to his actors so that they can explore their own imaginations. He has talked about a 30-second scene from the film in which Bhatt’s character talks to her mother on the phone and explodes on the operator. He has shared that instead of giving her direct instructions, he himself exploded in a situation with Alia Bhatt sitting in front of him. Reacting to the scene, he said that it was the moment that made him sure of his choice of Bhatt as Gangubai.

Sharing the incident that took place during Bhatt's preparation for the scene, the filmmaker told Film Companion during an interview, "She was sitting on a chair and I wanted a certain atmosphere. So, suddenly, I saw some staff laughing or giggling and I presumed that they were laughing at me. And then I exploded. All the actors on the set became quiet. It was my way of reaching those vibes to her, of feeling the nerves of calling the mother, of getting the anger-filled, and at what note it should explode."

"Till date she doesn’t know that this is what I did to get her into that space. But as a director, I don’t like to give direct instructions to people, because it limits the actor’s imagination," Bhansali added.

On Friday ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ was released in theatres and has been doing well at the domestic box-office till now. Bhatt plays the role of a vulnerable young girl who comes to Mumbai to become an actress but is duped into working for a brothel. She soon turns into the matriarch of the brothel and eventually the entire red-light area.