Shekhar Suman Defends Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Temper Issues, Says ‘He’s a Perfectionist’

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar is finally out on the OTT giant Netflix. The series was released on May 1, 2024. The series features an ensemble cast, including Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sharmin Segal, Shekhar Suman and others. Now, in a recent interview, Shekhar Suman talked about Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s temperament issues. He acknowledged the rumours and attributed it to the filmmaker’s quest for excellence from his team. 

During an interview with Zoom Entertainment, Shekhar said, that it is nothing like what the rumours claim for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s temper. He called the director a perfectionist. The actor said, “He has every right to be. Why does he get angry? He’s not a madman, but he is a perfectionist. You will always notice that perfectionists are short-tempered because they get impatient with everybody else for not being at their level. I know of so many people who are legends in their craft but are also short-tempered. K Asif was like this, Mehboob Khan was like this, Raj Kapoor was like this.”

Shekhar addressed Bhansali’s meticulous process that might result in prolonged waiting times. He compared an actor’s readiness to a soldier awaiting an enemy’s attack, suggesting that those bothered by waiting are not cut out for acting. He emphasized the importance of being prepared, even if it means enduring long hours on set. 

Shekhar Suman expressed, “It’s like a soldier waiting for the enemy to attack. He wouldn’t say, ‘I’ve been waiting for 12 hours, now I want to go home’. Does it happen? No, he’s there! Whenever the enemy comes, he starts firing. It doesn’t matter if it’s snowing or if it’s hot. An actor has to have the preparedness of a soldier. Even if Mr Bhansali says you keep doing it for two days, three days, you keep doing it if you’re an actor. You can’t complain about losing your concentration.” 

The actor further added, “Then get the hell out, you have no business being an actor. Whenever you look back, you will look back with so much glee and pride. And that’s why one has so much respect for him. Everybody gets impatient, but that’s not losing your temper. There is time and money involved, other actors are waiting because of your lack of understanding… That becomes unfair to the director. The way he pampers his actors it’s no one’s business.”

It should be noted that in the past actors such as Deepika Padukone, and Ranveer Singh have highlighted the issue of having intense experience with Sanjay Leela Bhansali during shoot days.