“Gangubai Kathiawadi’s Finally Complete,” Sanjay Leela Bhansali 

“It’s Finally Complete,”  Sanjay Leela Bhansali  Breathes A  Sigh Of Relief As  Gangubai Kathiawadi  Ends Shooting

 Maverick  movie maker Sanjay Leela Bhansali is in  a  peaceful state of mind.  The shooting of his latest  opus  a true-life gangster drama of epic proportion  titled Gangubau Kathiawadi has finally ended.

Looking back  at  the  two-year  journey  Bhansali says,  “We  began  shooting on 27 December  2019. We had to  stop  shooting in March 2020 due to Covid .We were  supposed to release  the film in  October  2029.  We  finally  wrapped  up shooting last month on  June 26 .”

So has  this  been  the most difficult   film  to  shoot for   this epic  movie maker  often  compared with  cinema’s greatest  including Raj Kapoor,  V Shantaram, David Lean and Baz Luhrman?

“I don’t know if  it  was  the most difficult. Because each of my films  brings its own share  of  agony,” confessed  Bhansali whose Padmaavat was  shot in the midst  of rising  protests  by fringe groups  accusing  the filmmaker of distorting history.

Recalling the  violent protests against Padmaavat Bhansali says, “It was  crazy! Through all of it, I was more worried about my mother and happy that she was with me. I don’t know how I’d have survived without her at my side. She kept saying, ‘Mere bete ke saath aisa kyon ho raha hai? Woh itni achchi filmein banata hai’.My mother was my pillar of strength.”

The director whom many, including yours truly, consider the  finest  living filmmaker  of India  feels the  obstacles   that  come in the way of his creativity  help him   to grow  as  a  filmmaker. “Sometimes I feel  the hurdles and obstacles  are  God’s ways  of making me stronger as a person and filmmaker.  Every time  my underproduction  film was  attacked  I used my pain and suffering as an impetus to work better. During the havoc that  Covid  played  with the  shooting schedules of Gangubau Kathiawadi I  channelized all  my anxiety  into giving the best possible shape to  my vision .I think suffering has always been an incentive  for  my creativity.”