Sanjay Leela Bhansali Reveals Why He 'Exploded' On Gangubai Set; Says Alia Is Unaware About The Reason

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is currently basking in the success of his latest release Gangubai Kathiawadi featuring Alia Bhatt in the titular role. Recently in an interview with an entertainment portal, the filmmaker recalled a strange incident on the sets of the film wherein he deployed an unusual method to extract a certain kind of performance from Alia.

The scene in question is the one where Alia's character Gangubai 'explodes' as she is talking on the phone to her mother.

Bhansali told Film Companion, "There's a very strange incident to that, when she was preparing for it. I wanted a certain atmosphere. So, suddenly, I saw some staff laughing or giggling and presumed that they were laughing at me."

He continued, "And then I exploded. All the actors on the set became quiet. It was my way of giving those vibes to her, of feeling the nerves of calling the mother, of getting the anger filled, and at what note it should explode. I never told her. Till date she doesn't know that this is what I did to get her into that space."

Sanjay Leela Bhansali told the portal that as a director, he doesn't like to give direct instructions to people because it limits the actor's imagination. He said that it's the job of the director to make his actors realise their potentials.

He called Alia a 'great actor' and said that he waited for 17 years to make Gangubai Kathiawadi with her adding that he knew that she was going to be a star in their first-ever meeting, which took place many years ago, when the actress was just nine.

Bhansali said that during the shooting of Gangubai Kathiawadi, he saw Alia blossom as she just went along with him and started discovering something about her. He added that she found the full potential of what she is all about.