Sanjay Leela Bhansali opens up about his father's ultimate wish

Renowned Indian filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali disclosed a peculiar request his father made on his deathbed.

During an interview with the New York Times, the 61-year-old director revealed that his father wished to listen to the song Hayo Rabba sung by Reshma.

The Bajirao Mastani director mentioned that he had no means to play the song his father desired to hear, but his mother persisted.

Sanjay also remarked that Reshma was renowned for her raw, untrained voice, and following India's Partition, she resided in Pakistan, where the Bhansali family also had their roots.

In sharing the heartfelt moment of his father's final wish, Bhansali expressed, “I had no place to play ‘Hayo Rabba,’ and my mother kept saying, Play “Hayo Rabba”! The reason for choosing this particular song."

"According to him, was his father’s wish to connect with his roots. “Life is so fascinating,” he said. “Can films ever capture this?,” he added.

He shared how fulfilling it was and came to realize, “I don’t want to be on the cricket ground, I don’t want to be in school, I don’t want to be anywhere. I want to be here. This is my place.”

On the professional front, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is basking in the success of his recently directed web series, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, which began streaming on Netflix from May 1, 2024