Very proud of my Marathi film Laal Ishq: Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Sanjay Leela Bhansali says he grew up listening to Marathi songs of the Mangeshkar family. He always wanted to make a Marathi film and is happy that he finally got to make one with Laal Ishq.

Bollywood director Sanjay Leela Bhansali says he is very proud of Laal Ishq, the Marathi film he has produced. He made it because he has always wanted to do a Marathi film, he adds.

Bhansali said he has always been extremely close to all things ‘Maharashtrian’.(LaalIshqFilm/Facebook)

“I’ve always been extremely close to all things Maharashtrian, be it the food, music or cinema. I grew up listening to the Mangeshkar family’s Marathi songs. And I speak fluent Marathi. It was always my wish to make a Marathi film,” said Bhansali.

Read: Honoured to be a Bhansali heroine | Anjana Sukhani on Laal Ishq

The filmmaker waited until the right script knocked on his door. “When director Swapna Waghmare Joshi came to me with this idea, I was immediately hooked. I wanted to produce this film, because I had never done a Marathi film. Also, it is a suspense film. This genre I’ve never attempted as a producer and director,” he said.

Watch the trailer of Laal Ishq here:

The film’s title Laal Ishq is from a song in Bhansali’s Goliyon Ki Raas Leela, Ram Leela, says the filmmaker. “I had registered Laal Ishq as a title for my future films. But when I heard the story of Swapna’s film, I completely thought Laal Ishq to be the right title. I happily gave it to Swapna (director),” he said.

Apart from the title, Bhansali has not contributed to Laal Ishq in any way. “I’ve always maintained that my productions are meant to be directed by other directors while I’ll focus on my own films. Otherwise, there is no point in producing films. I might as well direct all of them,” he said, adding that he is thrilled to be part of the resurgence of Marathi cinema.