Sanjay Leela Bhansali Age, Wife, Family, Biography & More

Bio
Profession(s)	Film Director, Producer, Music Director, Screenwriter
Physical Stats & More
Height (approx.)	in centimeters- 174 cm in meters- 1.74 m in Feet Inches- 5’ 8½”
Weight (approx.)	in Kilograms- 73 kg in Pounds- 161 lbs
Body Measurements (approx.)	- Chest: 40 Inches - Waist: 32 Inches - Biceps: 12 Inches
Eye Colour	Dark Brown
Hair Colour	White
Career
Debut	Film (Director): Khamoshi: The Musical (1996) Film (Music Director): Guzaarish (2010) TV Debut (As a Judge): Jhalak Dikhlaa Jaa Season 1 (2006)
Awards	National Film Awards • Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment for Devdas in 2002 • Best Feature Film in Hindi for Black in 2005 • Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment for Mary Kom in 2014 • Best Director for Bajirao Mastani in 2015 • Best Music Director for Padmaavat in 2018 • Best Screenplay and Best Editing for the film ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ on 17 October 2023 Filmfare Awards • Best Film (Critics) for Khamoshi: The Musical in 1997 • Best Film for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in 2000 • Best Director for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam in 2000 • Best Director for Devdas in 2003 • Best Film for Black in 2006 • Best Film (Critics) for Black in 2006 • Best Director for Black in 2006 • Best Film for Bajirao Mastani in 2015 • Best Director for Bajirao Mastani in 2016 • Best Music Director for Padmaavat in 2019 • Best Film for Gangubai Kathiawadi in 2023 • Best Director for Gangubai Kathiawadi in 2023
Personal Life
Date of Birth	24 February 1963 (Sunday)
Age (as of 2024)	61 Years
Birthplace	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
Zodiac sign	Pisces
Nationality	Indian
Hometown	Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
College	Film and Television Institute of India, Pune
Educational Qualification	Course in Editing
Family	Father- Navin Bhansali (Film Producer) Mother- Leela Bhansali (used to stitch clothes) Brothers- N/A Sister- Bela Segal
Religion	Hinduism
Caste	Kshatriya (Solanki)
Hobbies	Reading poetry, listening to vintage music
Controversies	Padmaavat Controversy- In early 2017, Sanjay Leela Bhansali was reportedly beaten up by the members of the 'Shri Rajput Karni Sena' on the sets of his film, Padmaavat, in Jaipur. The community was upset by the news of alleged love scenes between Padmaavat (Deepika Padukone) and Alauddin Khilji (Ranveer Singh). However, Bhansali soon cleared the air and said that the news about intimate scenes between the leads is just hearsay. Later, Bhansali even sent a letter to the community asking for their support and co-operation. • In a similar incident, an angry mob vandalized the sets of the movie in Kohlapur. Not only did the mob set the main stage on fire, it also damaged the cars parked around the sets. Reportedly, a horse was also badly injured during this incident. • In November 2017, the protest against the release of Padmaavat by the Shri Rajput Karni Sena picked up due to the alleged distorted history related to Rajput queen Padmini shown in the film trailer. The film was supposed to get released on 1 December 2017, but due to the protest by the Rajput community and security concerns of the state governments, the release of the film got delayed to make the concerned changes in the film. After the five changes recommended by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), such as - title change of the film from 'Padmavati' to 'Padmaavat', changes in the song 'Ghoomar', and changes in the references to historical places, the film was given a clean chit and given the release date of 25 January 2018.
Favourites
Movies	Bollywood: Mughal-E-Azam (1960) Hollywood: Ship of Theseus (2012)
Musician	A. R. Rahman
Vocalist	Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
Song	Mor Bani Thanghat Kare (Gujarati Folk Song)
Actors	Dada Kondke, Dilip Kumar
Actresses	Helen, Madhuri Dixit
Girls, Affairs and More
Marital Status	Unmarried
Affairs/Girlfriends	Vaibhavi Merchant, Choreographer (Ex-fiancee)
Wife/Spouse	N/A
Children	Son- N/A Daughter- N/A

Some Lesser Known Facts About Sanjay Leela Bhansali

• Since his father, Navin Bhansali, was a film producer, Sanjay was always surrounded by actors and directors. He was fascinated by the art of ‘Direction’ so much so, that in only his 2nd standard, he decided as to what profession he will choose in the future.

• His father, however, couldn’t be a successful producer and thus knew the struggle that comes associated with the film industry. Hence, his father advised young Bhansali to pursue a career in some other field.

• Before making his full-fledged directorial debut, Bhansali worked as an ‘assistant’ to director Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The duo directed two movies together namely Parinda (1989), 1942: A love Story (1994).

• However, the two had an ugly altercation when Bhansali refused to work with Vidhu Vinod Chopra for their third film, Kareeb (1998).

• Although Bhansali’s debut film, Khamoshi: The Musical, garnered good critical reviews, it failed to perform well at the box office.

• Success wasn’t far away from him though, as his second movie, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), starring Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan, and Ajay Devgan, became a blockbuster hit.

• Though he maintains a calm disposition on camera, Bhansali is notorious for his bad temper on the sets. It is believed that because of this negative trait, Bhansali had a fallout with actor Salman Khan. The two are not even on talking terms let alone working together.

• Stars were now completely on Bhansali’s side as his next movie, Devdas, became the ‘highest-grossing film of 2002.’

• In 2008, Bhansali staged the opera, Padmavati, an adaption of the 1923 ballet written by Albert Roussel. While the first show premiered at the prestigious ‘Théâtre du Châtelet’, Paris, the second one was showcased at the ‘Festival Dei Due Mondi’. At the 2nd venue, the opera received “fifteen minutes of standing ovation and 7 curtain calls at the end of the show.”

• Bhansali’s Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013) was an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Notably, the film made garnered over 100 Crore INR and marked Deepika Padukone‘s 4th blockbuster of the year.

• The duo of Ranveer Singh & Deepika Padukone again proved lucky for him as he was awarded the “National Award in the Best Director category” for his movie, Bajirao Mastani. Interestingly, Bhansali had first announced the film in 2003; however, it took him around 11 years to finalize the project. 

• He is an introvert and is thus hardly spotted at Bollywood parties and events.

• Bhansali won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for the film “Padmaavat” in 2019.

• In January 2023, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences released a list of 301 feature films eligible for Oscars including Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi. ^[1]NDTV