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Subhash K Jha
Harman Baweja, Sanjay Bhansali
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is shocked to hear rumours in Bollywood about him deciding to drop Harman Baweja from Chenab Gandhi. Currently holidaying in Venice, he clears the air, insisting that he stands by Harman as an actor despite his first film not doing well.
Sanjay says, "Far from dropping Harman from my film, I am even more sure that it's him that I want for my film. He is a true star in the making. When I had signed him for Chenab Gandhi to stand up to an actor of Amitabh Bachchan's calibre, I had not seen Love Story 2050. I signed him only because of his preparedness as an actor and his enthusiasm. He has learnt the ropes of the profession like western dancing and kathak. He is sincere, focussed and disciplined. He will definitely stand the test of time in Bollywood."
The director also finds it a weird that an actor is pulled down only because his debut film flopped. Sanjay says, "There are so many examples of today's biggest stars whose first few films did not work. I myself started with Khamoshi: The Musical, which was a flop. And yet Salman Khan stood by me. What if he had refused to do Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam with me after Khamoshi? Karan Johar and Aditya Chopra had big hits for their first film and I had a flop. And yet we all have our niche."
Comparing the outcome of Harman's first film with that of Ranbir Kapoor's Saawariya, Sanjay says, "Hasn't Ranbir become a star in his own right even though people say Saawariya did not work? I think Harman too needs to be looked beyond his first film. In fact I'm now thinking of signing Harman for another film."
• He has learnt the ropes of the profession like western dancing and kathak. He is sincere, focussed and disciplined. He will definitely stand the test of time in Bollywood
– Sanjay Bhansali
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