| Sanjay Leela Bhansali Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Height | 5 ft 8 in |
| Weight | 68 kg |
| Date of Birth | February 24, 1963 |
| Zodiac Sign | Pisces |
| Hair Color | Black |
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is an Indian director, producer, screenwriter, and music composer who is regarded as one of the most prominent filmmakers of the Hindi film industry for having directed such remarkable films as Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), Devdas (2002), Black (2005), Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013), Bajirao Mastani (2015), Padmaavat (2018), Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022), etc.
Born Name
Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Nick Name
SLB
Sun Sign
Pisces
Born Place
Bombay (now Mumbai), Maharashtra, India
Residence
Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Nationality
Occupation
Director, Producer, Screenwriter, Music Composer
Family
- Father – Navin Bhansali (Film Producer)
- Mother – Leela Bhansali
- Siblings – Bela Bhansali Sehgal (Sister) (Film Editor, Director)
- Others – Sharmin Segal (Niece) (Actress), Deepak Segal (Brother-in-law) (Film Producer)
Build
Slim
Height
5 ft 8 in or 173 cm
Weight
68 kg or 150 lbs
Girlfriend / Spouse
He has dated –
- Vaibhavi Merchant – In the past, he was in a relationship with the talented choreographer Vaibhavi Merchant, who got her big break by choreographing the song Dholi Taro Dhol Baaje in Bhansali’s film, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999). The couple allegedly got engaged after a few years of dating. However, they called it quits soon after.
Race / Ethnicity
Asian (Indian)
Hair Color
Black
However, his hair has turned ‘Gray’ due to his advancing age.
Eye Color
Dark Brown
Sexual Orientation
Straight
Distinctive Features
- Use of extravagant set designs and visual splendor in his films
- Frequently dressed in traditional attire
Religion
Hinduism
Sanjay Leela Bhansali Favorite Things
- Movies – Kaagaz Ke Phool (1959), Sahib Bibi Aur Ghulam (1962)
- Food – Dal Chawal
- Pastime – Watching the news
Source – IMDb, Film Companion
Sanjay Leela Bhansali Facts
- He started his career by assisting director Vidhu Vinod Chopra in films like Parinda (1989), 1942: A Love Story (1994), and Kareeb (1998).
- Bhansali was honored with the country’s fourth highest civilian award: the Padma Shri in March 2015.
- In 2006, he joined Farah Khan and Shilpa Shetty as a judge on season 1 of the dance reality show, Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa.
- Bhansali’s iconic period drama Devdas (2002) starring Shahrukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, and Madhuri Dixit was nominated in the ‘Best Film Not in the English Language’ category at the BAFTA Awards in 2003.
- Devdas (2002) was chosen as India’s official submission for ‘Best Foreign Language Film’ at the Academy Awards. However, the film failed to make the final cut. Moreover, the highly-praised film was included in Time Magazine‘s 2012 list of ‘The 10 Greatest Movies of the Millennium (Thus Far)’ at #8.
- Bhansali saw a huge untapped potential in the actor Fardeen Khan and wanted to direct him at least once in a film. In fact, he had even written a small part for him in the Rani Mukerji-starrer Black (2005), but it was eventually written out of the final script.
- Both his directorial ventures Black (2005) and Devdas (2002) set the record at the prestigious Filmfare Awards with 11 wins each. However, that record was broken when Gully Boy (2019), directed by Zoya Akhtar, bagged 13 awards in 2020.
- In October 2023, during the 69th National Film Awards, Sanjay won the award for “Best Editing” for Gangubai Kathiawadi.
Featured Image by Archana Malpani / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0
