‘Sanjay Leela Bhansali is a tough taskmaster, but if gets what he wants on sets, he is happy’ – filmmaker Mitakshara Kumar | Hindi Movie News

How did your Heeramandi journey start?
Heeramandi was a homecoming for me at Bhansali Productions because, since 2015, I worked as an Associate Director.

In 2019, I got a chance to become a director with The Empire produced by Emmay Entertainment. I left Bhansali Productions with Mr. Bhansali’s blessing. Once my show was released, they called me back to direct Heeramandi.
How was the experience?
It was my second series. For sir, it was his first. So, I was probably coming with a little bit more experience on how a series works. Obviously, we have learned a lot about what a hook point is. In a film, you have two hours to tell the entire story. In a series, you have to continue the graph from the first minute to the last minute, which could be eight to ten hours. And the series can have not one, but multiple protagonists, six in our case. And all the stories have to be told simultaneously.
Bhansali being a perfectionist, how did you find the middle ground while executing the show? What kind of discussions took place?
There were a lot of discussions about character graphs, different scenes, and the climax. We were contemplating between two climaxes. So, that discussion went on for a long time. All of us together were discussing what would be more impactful. There are always creative differences when there is more than one creative mind. But eventually, it’s about coming to the same page.

Any one episode that you can talk about?
I can talk about a particular scene. So, there was an entire graph of Waheeda’s character with the file that she wanted revenge on Mallikajaan. And this graph went on from episode three to five or six, I think. By the end of it, the scene was that she comes and she realizes that Farida has also duped her. And the file has no evidence left, whereas Waheeda knew that there was everything in there. So, on paper, the scene was supposed to end very differently with Farida saying, “Oh, you know what? There’s nothing here, and she tears the file.” But on the day of the shoot, I decided that I wanted to give more agency to Waheeda in that scene because it was a closure of sorts for a very big arc for her character. So, I changed it on shoot, and for some reason, me and sir could not talk that day because he was shooting the night shift and I was shooting the day shift. So, our timings were not matching. But I was so convinced with my vision that I went ahead and changed it and everybody knows what that ended up as. That’s one of my favourite scenes.

How was it working with all the ladies in the cast?
They have been a pleasure to work with. Everyone was on set on time. I had a great rapport with everyone. Everyone knows Manisha Ma’am is a cancer survivor. She was going through a lot during that time. But none of us could really make out because she was so professional. Sonakshi was a pleasure to work with. She is beautiful on camera, and fun off-camera.
Tell us a little about Sharmin Segal
She auditioned for the role. And everyone knows that Sanjay sir would take someone only if he was totally convinced about it. So, he must have been convinced about Sharmin and her performance.
Which bit did Richa Chadha do 99 takes for?
It was her song. She apparently did 99 takes for it. I didn’t get to direct Richa because she was only in the first two episodes, which were completely Sir’s episodes. But on this particular day, I remember it was very difficult because choreography sometimes changes at the last minute. She had really worked hard and practiced something else, and on the day of the shoot, Sir didn’t feel that it was working. Thankfully, she’s a trained dancer, so it was easier for her. But it was one single shot. Hats off to Richa for pulling it off.
How did you react to the mixed reactions to Heeramandi?
See, visual art or any art is very subjective. What is somebody’s cup of tea is completely not somebody else’s. And the beauty of freedom of speech is that everyone has a right to their opinion, and everyone has the right to express their opinion. And just like that, the makers have a right to tell their stories.
Are you going to direct something contemporary?
I’m very comfortable with period dramas. That’s the legacy I would really want to leave behind. But I don’t want to be slotted into a genre. An artist should never stop growing. So, I am doing something contemporary. I have two films, and both of them are contemporary. I would love to make an action film. If you see a Laapataa Ladies, I think that is, in the truest sense, a film of women’s empowerment. It’s made by a woman.
Do you still feel that our men are not very comfortable being challenged or directed by women?
Thankfully, I have worked with very kind people. Even the men on this show are wonderful. Fardeen Khan, Indresh Malik, Jason Shahand Rajathave been very nice, and respectful. But more than the actors, I feel overall as an industry, we need to celebrate the women behind the camera.
I will take Heeramandi as an example. It is a man’s vision, but it was executed by a bunch of women. Each department was headed by women. And this is a show about strong women.
Has Sanjay calmed down now than earlier?
I don’t know what calming down means. But I think he has become more aware of his surroundings; from Bajirao Mastani to now. He’s more aware that he is around 200 people. But of course, he is a tough taskmaster, no doubt. And on a personal level, yes, he’s fun and he’s calm and he’s happy. But on a set, if he’s getting what he wants, he’s very calm.
What are your upcoming projects?
One is a wonderful comedy that has been in development for a long time. It’s about relationships between women. It’s actually about giving agency to women in a very light, non-preachy manner, touching upon a lot of socioeconomic issues in a light manner.The other one I will talk about a little later because we are still in the process of finalizing things.