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Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s dream project Bajirao Mastani finally saw the lights of the day, released with all its grandeur and glory in 2015 and emerged as a critical and commercial success.
It starred Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, and the scene-stealing Priyanka Chopra.
However, it’s no news this was a dream Bhansali saw back in 2005 with Salman Khan as his Bajirao and Aishwarya Rai as his Mastani, but the actress had to decline the magnum opus for her own reasons (and right). The duo even spoke about it back in 2005 on the ‘Koffee With Karan‘ couch.
Rai stated, “He (Sanjay) did see us working as the cast that he saw was ideal for the film. But circumstantially, I could not work with the kind of team he was looking at.”
She added, “Well, I was game to play Mastani but not with the Bajirao he had in mind. So, this was evident probably nationally. The media made it out to be that Aishwarya walks out of Bajirao Mastani. We hadn’t communicated then because I was in hospital with my leg laid up.”
A tale of valour, love, and grandeur that has withstood the test of eight years, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Bajirao Mastani continues to remain one of the finest films to come out of India.
Ranveer Singh on Bajirao Mastani
Said Ranveer Singh, “It was a once in a lifetime character. Bajirao was a true hero-a man who never lost a battle. He is a son, father, husband, lover, leader. A man who is not afraid of anything…not even death.”
These words encapsulate the essence of Bajirao, a character that transcended the screen and found a permanent place in the hearts of audiences worldwide. However, beyond the individual brilliance of the leads Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone and Priyanka Chopra, the success of Bajirao Mastani is a testament to the visionary storytelling of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, an auteur who stands as the true inheritor of Indian cinema, carrying the torch of cinematic greatness forward
