One of Indian cinema’s most acclaimed and financially successful directors, Sanjay Leela Bhansali has helmed films that range from intense love stories to historical narratives. He receives recognition for the grandeur of the visual extravaganza in his films, many of which challenge conventional norms.
In the Hindi film industry, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is regarded as a master storyteller. His films are works of art, each frame a masterpiece created with the hues of his own youth. Bhansali, who was born on February 24, 1963, has had an incredible career in Bollywood, creating stories that touch people on a deep level. On his birthday today, let’s take a look at the best movies of the ace filmmaker. These movies have been dubbed as the cult classic iconic films of Indian cinema.
Must watch movies by Sanjay Leela Bhansali:
10. Saawariya (2007):
IMDb rating: 5.2
Cast: Ranbir Kapoor, Sonam Kapoor, Rani Mukerji, Salman Khan
Sonam, the daughter of actor Anil Kapoor, and Ranbir, the son of Rishi Kapoor, made their premieres in Saawariya. In his career, it is the only failure for Bhansali. In spite of this, the movie is still significant because it features the final appearances of Indian film icons Begum Para and Zohra Sehgal.
9. Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram Leela (2013):
IMDb rating: 6.4
Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Supriya Pathak
Romeo and Juliet, an epic tragedy by William Shakespeare, served as the inspiration for the movie’s plot. There is an attraction between Leela (Padukone) and Ram (Singh). However, there has long been a rivalry between their respective families, which turns disastrous.
8. Padmaavat (2018):
IMDb rating: 7.1
Cast: Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor, Ranveer Singh, Aditi Rao Hydari, Jim Sarbh
One of the most costly Indian movies ever produced, Padmaavat had a budget of about INR 215 crore (roughly USD 31 million at the time). At the global box office, it brought in over INR 571 crore (USD 72 million at the time), making it one of the highest-grossing movies in Indian cinema history.
7. Bajirao Mastani (2015):
IMDb rating: 7.2
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Priyanka Chopra, Tanvi Azmi, Milind Soman, Mahesh Manjrekar, Aditya Pancholi
A portion of the movie was filmed on location at Rajasthan’s Amer Fort. But the 22 magnificent sets built in Film City were the main topic of conversation. Among these were the two main sets, which represented the Aina Mahal and the Shaniwar Wada in real life.
6. Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999):
IMDb rating: 7.4
Cast: Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan, Ajay Devgn
The music in the movie is praised as of right now. In the categories of male and female playback singing, it received six of its 17 Filmfare nominations.
5. Guzaarish (2010)
IMDb rating: 7.4
Cast: Hrithik Roshan, Aishwarya Rai
On the Indian film festival circuit, the movie won multiple awards. It failed to win any of the four Filmfare Awards for which it was nominated.
4. Khamoshi The Musical (1996):
IMDb rating: 7.5
Cast: Nana Patekar, Manisha Koirala, Seema Biswas, Salman Khan
Sanjay Leela Bhansali made his directing debut with Khamoshi the Musical.
3. Devdas (2002):
IMDb rating: 7.5
Cast: Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai, Madhuri Dixit, Jackie Shroff
With a budget of about INR 50 crore (USD 10.3 million at the time), it was the most expensive Indian film ever made when it was released. Everyone praised it for its cinematography, extravagant costumes, music, and set design.
2. Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022):
IMDb rating: 7.8
Cast: Alia Bhatt, Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz, Indira Tiwari, Seema Pahwa, Jim Sarbh, Ajay Devgn
The real-life Gangubai Kothewali, one of the many notorious people profiled in the book Mafia Queens of Mumbai by prominent crime writer S. Hussain Zaidi, serves as the basis for the movie.
1. Black (2005):
IMDb rating: 8.1
Cast: Amitabh Bachchan, Rani Mukerji, Ayesha Kapur, Shernaz Patel, Dhritiman Chatterjee
Among the three National Awards it took home, Amitabh Bachchan’s performance brought home the Best Actor award. It was the second of Bachchan’s four career Best Actor National Awards. Its 11 wins at the 51st Filmfare Awards in 2006 tied Black with Bhansali’s Devdas for the most wins in Filmfare history, setting a record at the time. Gully Boy later broke the record in 2019.
