Love working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali because he is relentless: Richa Chadha

Mumbai, September 29

Actor Richa Chadha says she enjoys working with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali as he is “relentless” in his pursuit of bringing his vision on screen.

Chadha, who first collaborated with Bhansali on 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 ten year gap but we picked up from where we left. 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,” the actor told PTI.

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 me, challenge me… I love working with him (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 got 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.

On the film front, Chadha’s latest release is ‘Fukrey 3’. She is also gearing up for her maiden production venture “Girls will be Girls’, backed by her and actor-husband Ali Fazal’s Pushing Buttons Studios.