(IO)DARKNESS LOOTERS#35 #PendulumOfTheMindOscillatesb/wSense&Nonse - Page 27

It would be an understatement to say that the name Sanjay Leela Bhansali is synonymous with larger-than-life cinema and grandeur. And to surprise us, we were invited (not just us but other journalists too) for the first time to witness the grandeur and his labour of love for one of the songs from his most ambitious movie to date, Bajirao Mastani.

And, trust us, as soon as you enter the set, you are transported back a couple of hundred years, to the era of the Peshwas, each one of them dressed just as we saw them in the history books. Take a bow, Mr Bhansali, you've done it once again!

Your journey back in time is broken by the arrival of Deepika Padukone, who - and we can't stress this enough - is looking gorgeous. But before you can comment on her look or the set, the actress says, "You're seeing the set for the first time, Vajir, but you know what, I am here every day and I am still awed. And you feel great when you're performing on such a set under the master craftsman Sanjay sir." We totally agree.

Padukone is glowing, not only because she is a part of Bajirao Mastani or is playing Mastani, or is working with Bhansali again. As a performer, she is thrilled to be a part of a project that will be remembered for years and years to come.

Next, you meet the ever-smiling Bhansali (I've never met him when he's in a bad mood although I've heard lots of stories!), and he says, "How are you?" He doesn't say anything about the set or the movie; obviously he wants the visitor to gauge on his own. After a brief chat, he leaves you to soak it all in, including the dance step the dancers are rehearsing with Padukone.

Later, you meet Peshwa Bajirao. Wait, isn't that Ranveer Singh? No, it's Peshwa Bajirao... Yup, that's the kind of impact Bhansali, his sets and his cast have on you.

Priyanka Chopra, who has come all the way from Canada to shoot her portion for the song, seems excited despite the jet lag. "It is always fun to shoot with Sanjay sir, and just look at the set he's created. I have enjoyed every bit of the shoot I did for this movie, which will be an experience for the audience when it releases."

Something about the set: This time, Bhansali has outdone himself by creating what might be his most extravagant set yet. He has recreated Aena Mahal, on the lines of the Mughal-e-Azam set, which was covered in dazzling mirrors. After the cult film, it is the most expensive set he's ever built. The set, which took over 45 days to create, has been designed by Sujit Sriram and Saloni with the mirrors being brought in from Jaipur, each one handpicked by the creative maverick himself.

And get this - over 20,000 intricately designed mirrors have been used to assemble this massive, 12,500 sq ft set. Special craftsmen were summoned from Jaipur to work on embedding the mirrors to maintain authenticity. The really jaw-dropping thing about the set is that from a certain angle, light reflects off every one of those 20,000 mirrors! As if that was not enough, the set also boasts 13 chandeliers, which light up with candles, not light bulbs. Can't get more wow than that, can it?