Richa Chadha calls Sanjay Leela Bhansali 'perfect in terms of aesthetics'
Mumbai: Richa Chadha enjoys working with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, as he is ‘relentless’ in his pursuit of bringing his vision to screen.
Chadha, who first collaborated with Bhansali on the 2013 hit ‘Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela’, has reunited with the filmmaker for his upcoming OTT debut series ‘Heeramandi’. “I’ve worked with him in ‘Ram-Leela’. We have had a 10-year gap, but we picked up from where we left off. I love working with him because he is relentless. When you work with him, even your toe is important. I feel very scared on his sets because you can’t do anything half-heartedly. From body language to hair, all of these things are important to him. He is very perfect in terms of aesthetics. So, you can’t miss out on these things.”
According to the makers, the ‘Netflix’ series explores the cultural reality of Heeramandi, a dazzling district, through the stories of courtesans and their patrons set against the tumultuous backdrop of the Indian freedom struggle of the 1940s.
The 36-year-old actor described the experience of working on the show as ‘difficult’.
“You are told to wear a 30 kg lehenga, take four rounds and on the beat, just pause and a drop of tear should fall from your left eye because the light is coming from that side. It is a meditation level of concentration. For me, it was very difficult to do, especially in a commercial space,” she added.
Best recognised for her roles in ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’, ‘Masaan” and “Fukrey”, Chadha said she looks forward to the challenges that filmmakers like Bhansali make her face as an actor.
“I like working with directors who push and challenge me. I love working with Bhansali. There’s always a challenge. I’ve worked with big independent filmmakers who are considered cult filmmakers, but when I work with Bhansali sahab, I believe I’ve transformed as an actor. There’s something that has triggered in me,” she said.
‘Heeramandi’ also features actors Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Sharmin Segal and Sanjeeda Sheikh. The show will soon premiere on ‘Netflix’.
