Bollywood: The Sanjay Leela Bhansali Way

We still get films with typical theatrical stories, but we are now offered movies that are more in-line with Western cinema. One element that the latter lacks, however, is the opulence of Bollywood films' sets and costumes, especially when it comes to Sanjay Leela Bhansali's movies.

If you hear the name Bhansali attached to a film, you automatically think of grand sets that are often colour-coordinated with the outfits of the characters. You think big, bold and beautiful. You think of heroines running down long, ornate corridors with their dupatta trailing gracefully behind them.

You think wow. 

You just thought wow, didn't you?

And everybody thought of a different movie. I could have been talking about any of them. In fact, I am talking about all of them.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali does not do things by halves. He gives us beautiful and magnificent backdrops, stunning attires that suit both the theme of the story and the roles, characters that are complex yet relatable and love stories that are heartbreaking yet uplifting. He gives us laughter and tears, music that moves our souls and a grandness that can rarely be matched by any other film maker.

From movies such as Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999) and Devdas (2002) to Saawariya (2007),  Goliyon Ki Raasleela... Ram-Leela (2013) and Bajirao Mastani (2015), one after the other, he manages to to outdo himself. Each film is distinctive yet each carries a mark that is unique to his master story telling. Then there are the more subtle films, Khamoshi: The Musical (1996), Black (2005) and Guzaarish (2010), all still carrying the Sanjay Leela Bhansali trademark. They all have an innate charm that originates from the way the stories are crafted, the way they seem larger than life and yet so universal. The stories are carried by artistes that are perfect for their roles and are well complemented by music that emphasises and enhances the story. Moreover, each and every film delivers a powerful message that despite the era the movie has been set in, it can still be addressed in today's world.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali's movies are an entire package, sagas composed of not just a pretty cast and stunning locations, but equally beautiful stories and impassioned musical scores as well.