Sahir Ludhianvi’s story deserves to be told: Bhansali

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is on cloud nine and understandably so. The filmmaker’s recent release starring Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone, one that he calls his ‘labour of love’, has released after some initial delays and compliments haven’t stopped pouring in since. “It’s a surreal feeling. I lived with the film for 12 long years and now, it’s all gone in an instant. I feel empty and jobless. But I am also relieved and very proud of the film I put up,” he says.

The film that took over two years to complete by his own admission was exhaustive as he did not take a single day off while making it. “I owe myself a vacation,” he says, even as he adds, “But work is what I like the best. Life is too short and now that I have found a rhythm, I don’t want to stop doing good work. I will take a small break but I am already looking forward to the next film.”

Bhansali’s next production is a film on the life of legendary poet-lyricist Sahir Ludhianvi. Talking about the project he says, “When the script came to me, it was so wonderful that I wanted to direct it. But then, I decided to produce it. Sahir Ludhianvi had a legacy and such a great love story. It deserves to be told. It’s an important film for us. This film is my way of giving back to the cinema for his immense contribution.”

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Though Priyanka Chopra is reportedly on board to play the role of Sahir’s love interest, Amrita Pritam, SLB doesn’t deny the development as he says, “I will make the announcements in January.” According to several reports, actor Irrfan has been roped in to play the legendary poet’s role and Sushant Singh Rajput may be seen in an important part too.