Sanjay Leela Bhansali may be facing a Metropolitan Magistrate in a defamation case over Gangubai Kathiawadi but the filmmaker is not put off from taking on controversial subjects. And, indications are, SLB may be reviving Inshallah – perhaps his most controversial project dating back to 2019 later this year.
The love story that was to feature Salman Khan and Alia Bhatt was called off by SLB after differences between Salman and him. The filmmaker then went on to make Gangubai Kathiawadi with Alia in the lead. But Inshallah remains a dream project for the avant garde filmmaker and it’s not entirely aborted.
SLB’s dream was to make Inshallah as a simple, beautiful, timeless love story between a young girl and a 50-plus man. He required a big star and after Salman, it was expected the filmmaker would knock on Shah Rukh Khan’s door. But the novelty of seeing SRK romancing Alia has somewhat worn off after Gauri Shinde’s Dear Zindagi. So if SLB takes up Inshallah after Gangubai Kathiawadi, his first task will be to appoint a hero.
Meanwhile, there is also talk of him directing Baiju Bawra after Gangubai Kathiawadi. It will be his first full-fledged musical and will have a dozen songs. But SLB said of this, the biggest challenge of his career, “I am not even thinking of the colossal music Naushad saab did in Baiju Bawra in 1952. It is impossible to scale those heights.” However, the filmmaker who officially started composing music for his own films since Goliyon Ki Rasleela: Ram-Leela (2013), is determined to give Baiju Bawra his best shot.
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