The
maestro
of
movie
making,
Sanjay
Leela
Bhansali
is
all
set
to
return
to
direction
with
a
film
that
will
star
one
of
his
favourite
actresses-Aishwarya
Bachchan
alongside
none
other
than
Hrithik
Roshan,
a
first
in
the
filmmaker's
oeuvre.
Neck-deep
in
pre-production,
the
last
thing
Sanjay
needs
is
fake
reports
about
actors
and
films
who
are
allegedly
working
with
him.
A
wild
story
about
Sanjay
signing
a
Pakistani
actor
finally
persuades
him
to
break
his
silence.
He
sets
the
record
straight,
once
and
for
all.
You
seem
to
have
quietly
gone
and
signed
a
young
Pakistani
actor
called
Imran
Abbas
for
Heera
Mandi.
So
quietly
that
even
I
don't
know
about
it.
I
haven't
signed
anyone
called
Imran
Abbas.
I'm
not
making
Heera
Mandi
right
now.
It
may
happen
much
later.
When
it
does
we'll
think
of
the
casting.
At
the
moment
you're
working
on
another
film?
I'm
directing
another
film
with
Hrithik
Roshan
and
Aishwarya
Bachchan.
I'm
very
excited
about
the
film,
and
so
are
they.
So
no
newcomers
in
this
film?
No.
I
need
an
experienced
crew
this
time.
I
need
their
expertise.
I've
worked
with
many
newcomers
like
Ismail
Durbar,
Nusrat
Badr,
Shreya
Ghosal,
Monty
Sharma,
Ranbir
and
Sonam.
You
continue
to
be
fearless
in
spite
of
Saawariya?
This
is
the
time
when
we
filmmakers
need
to
be
fearless
and
experiment
with
themes.
Fearlessness
is
my
biggest
asset
as
a
filmmaker.
I
will
continue
to
make
films
that
come
from
deep
within
me.
I
cannot
make
assumptions
on
people's
tastes
and
make
films
accordingly.
My
very
first
film
Khamoshi:
The
Musical
didn't
do
well
at
all.
But
a
lot
of
people
think
it's
my
best
work.
So
are
you
as
proud
of
Saawariya
as
the
rest
of
your
films?
Of
course.
In
fact,
a
Hum
Dil
De
Chuke
Sanam
or
a
Devdas
can
be
made
again.
But
Saawariya
can
never
be
made
again.
It's
my
rarest
work
in
terms
of
treatment.
It
had
beautiful
performances
and
visuals.
I
tried
to
put
a
stage-play
on
film.
Of
course
at
the
end
of
the
day
the
audience
decides
what
it
likes.
But
in
this
case
the
audience
was
conditioned
not
to
like
Saawariya.
So
have
you
met
this
Imran
chap?
Moin
Beg
who
has
written
Heera
Mandi
wanted
me
to
meet
this
actor.
So
on
Moin's
persistence
I
did
meet
him
almost
a
year
ago.
I
immediately
realized
he
wasn't
the
actor
I
was
looking
for.
The
next
thing
I
know,
I'm
supposed
to
be
arranging
this
guy's
visa
to
India.
What
nonsense!
Just
because
I
don't
speak
out,
people
take
advantage
of
my
silence.
Please
don't
exploit
my
name
for
your
own
advantage.
Why
don't
you
clarify
the
misconceptions
when
they
occur?
Kuch
toh
log
kehenge,
kehne
do.
I
can't
bring
myself
to
become
the
master
of
sound
bytes.
But
beyond
a
point,
silence
is
construed
as
a
sign
of
acceptance.
I
don't
even
meet
new
actors,
technicians,
musicians
or
lyricists.
I've
already
decided
whom
to
work
with
in
my
next
project.
So
why
waste
time
meeting
people
you
won't
be
working
with?
And
why
go
to
Pakistan
to
get
actors?
We've
very
talented
people
in
our
own
country.
There
were
reports
that
some
actors
including
your
own
protege
Ranbir
Kapoor
didn't
want
to
work
with
you?
(Laughs)
Poor
me.
People
are
writing
out
tragic
tales
about
me
everyday.
They
are
even
deciding
what
film
I'm
making
and
also
helpfully
casting
actresses
in
them.
There's
a
whole
section
of
people
who
spend
their
time
spreading
false
rumours
about
my
films.
I
wish
them
luck.
Maybe
stories
about
me
sell.
I've
to
believe
in
my
work
and
focus
on
it.
But
when
the
misrepresentations
go
beyond
my
tolerance
power
it's
time
speak
up.
The
truth
is,
Ranbir
and
Sonam
would
be
there
for
me
whenever
I
need
them.
However,
at
the
moment,
I'm
making
a
film
with
Hrithik
and
Aishwarya.
What
prompted
you
to
sign
Hrithik?
Hrithik
and
I
wanted
to
work
together
for
a
very
long
time.
I've
always
been
impressed
by
his
sincerity
as
an
actor.
I
was
waiting
for
the
right
opportunity
to
sign
him.
Working
with
Hrithik
would
be
a
new
and
rewarding
experience.
You
and
Aishwarya
created
magic
in
Hum
Dil
De
Chuke
Sanam
and
Devdas.
Time
for
a
hat
trick?
Aishwarya
is
very
special
to
me.
She
suits
the
role
in
my
new
film
to
perfection.
When
she
read
the
script,
she
was
deeply
moved.
Of
course
true
friend
that
she
is,
she
told
me
she
would've
agreed
to
work
with
me
even
if
I
didn't
send
her
the
script.
But
it's
important
for
an
actor
to
be
convinced
of
what
he
or
she
is
doing.
Will
this
Hrithik-Aishwarya
film
be
your
first
for
an
international
market
in
English?
But
Black
was
also
in
English.
It
is
important
for
me
to
make
my
films
for
our
market.
Having
said
that
we
must
take
our
cinema
to
the
remotest
corner
of
the
world.
Today
the
spoken
language
is
no
barrier.
The
spoken
language
in
our
country
is
as
much
Hindi
as
English.
I
want
to
capture
that
feeling
of
everyday
conversations.
2008
was
a
great
year
for
you?
It
was
the
year
when
an
Indian
director
was
invited
for
the
first
time
to
direct
an
opera
in
Paris?
Yes,
I
had
a
wonderful
a
time.
I
loved
directing
the
opera.
That
was
an
exceptional
honour
and
an
unforgettable
experience.
I
managed
to
write
the
script
that
I
wanted
to
and
got
the
cast
I
wanted.
I
may
be
producing
a
couple
of
films.
It's
been
a
year
of
hard
and
fruitful
work.
And
2009
will
mean
even
harder
work.