Bhansali’s Marathi fixation

Having spent his childhood in Mumbai, Bhuleshwar, a bustling area populated largely by Maharashtrians, the director grew up on Maharashtrian culture -- right from the music to the food and literature.

He is a born Gujarati, but Sanjay Leela Bhansali fondly states that he’s Marathi at heart. Having spent his childhood in Mumbai, Bhuleshwar, a bustling area populated largely by Maharashtrians, the director grew up on Maharashtrian culture -- right from the music to the food and literature.



Inspired by Marathi authors and other literary works, Bhansali loves sinking into a book in his free time. Those close to the director will also often see him listen to Marathi songs too. Even for his recent production, My Friend Pinto, he roped in famed Marathi music directors Ajay-Atul.

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Says a source, "Bhansali loves the Marathi culture since he has grown up in those surroundings. He loves their books and music and is very keen to propagate it. He has taken a step in that direction and roped in musical duo Ajay-Atul, who have composed the music of Marathi films like Jogwa and Natrang."