Sanjay Leela Bhansali Calls Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan 'Witty And Sharp': 'They Can Make You Laugh'

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali recently shared his admiration for Bollywood superstars Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan. Bhansali worked with Shah Rukh Khan in the critically acclaimed film Devdas (2002) and collaborated with Salman Khan in the beloved romantic drama Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999). In a new interview, he praised their exceptional wit and sharpness.

Bhansali, who’s currently basking in the success of his recently released web series Heeramandi, recalled working with Salman and Shah Rukh. He shared, “They’re very funny, witty, and sharp. There’s humor in every line, and they can make you laugh. So, that kind of humor has got intelligence and has got a certain amount of wit about it,” in an interview with Pinkvilla. 

The filmmaker also revealed the kind of observations Salman Khan has made regarding his films. “Salman once told me that if one sees your film, unanimously, if the whole Gaiety Galaxy is sitting together, you’ll only hear one ‘hmmh’ come out. That’s the amount of laughter you give in your film,” he shared.

Coming back to Heeramandi, it explores the cultural reality of a prominent red-light district with the same name through the lens of courtesans and nawabs during the pre-Independence era in the 1940s. Packed with a star-studded cast including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, and Sharmin Segal, the series is being showered with immense love from the audience for its screenplay, direction, and acting prowess. The project also marked Bhansali’s debut in the OTT space as a director.

News18 Showsha gave the series 3.5 stars and wrote, “Bhansali pens a near-perfect screenplay, and it is this rich writing that already forms an impressive foundation for the show. Each character is written with a lot of courage, empathy, and sensitivity. Here, each female character is so well-fleshed out, including those in the periphery, that they all deserve a spin-off of their own.”