Sanjay Leela Bhansali, basking the success of Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, attributed his success to his parents.
During an interview with Pinkvilla, the 61-year-old Bollywood filmmaker elaborated on his relationship and cherished memories with his father.
The Padmavat director said, “You may not be now any more scarred or bruised. Everything heals and with time you realize it so many places you were completely wrong, as in my relationship with my father I would’ve been completely wrong 80% of the time.”
He further confessed to finding it "cathartic" to recreate scenes and events inspired by his own life experiences.
Recalling his old days with father, SLB divulged, “When I look back, and I’m seeing that relationship doesn’t end for me. I feel today when I am making films, my father’s soul who taught me everything about films."
"Because he was a film producer he had great understanding he took me to Mughal-e-Aazm 18 times, and he showed me the importance of Guru Dutt, Jagjit Singh, and Lata Mangeshkar and Mohd Rafi, and he taught me and spoke to me, it stayed in my mind.”
In his further reflection on his father, he shared a sense that his father's spirit oversees him, regardless of his own assessment of being an average or below-average person outside the studio.
"I led into creating these and fulfilling these dreams against all adversities and all difficulties there is some guiding force, that guiding force is him."
"And, I strongly feel the presence of every human being if you invoke, you have your creative angels or guardian angels," he added.