Mumbai: Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actor Deepika Padukone share a great bond both professionally and off screen. Both have collaborated for three films — Ram Leela, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat. All three films were box office hits. But for Gangubai Kathiawadi, which got released last week, Bhansali preferred Alia Bhatt over Deepika.
Earlier, several reportsc claimed that there is unsaid cold war going on between the two. However, nothing was confirmed.
And now, in the latest interview with Bollywood Hungama, Sanjay Leela Bhansali revealed the difference between two heroines when he was asked to pick his favourite actress. He also revealed why he offered Gangubai Kathiawadi’s role to Alia Bhatt.
He said, “They are different people. They have different approaches, they have different heights. They have different voices, they have different body language. They have different approach to cinema. All that put together… Deepika is a beautiful girl, wonderful actor. For me, Alia is a very beautiful girl, again a wonderful actor. But if I have to do Bajirao Mastani then I will have to have Deepika, and if I’m doing Gangubai, I will have to have Alia play it. So, each one has their own power that they exude when they find a role that suits them, and you cannot give the wrong role to the wrong actor.”
“Not that in the same breath I can say that Alia could not have played Mastani or Deepika could not have played Gangu. But I feel what casting I’ve done, keeping their essence, is the right casting. So, what Alia did for this role, only Alia could have done. And what Deepika did in those roles only Deepika could have done,” he added.
‘Gangubai Kathiawadi’ marks the first collaboration of Alia Bhatt and Sanjay Leela Bhansali and the movie was released in theatres on 25th January. Deepika Padukone, on the other hand, has Fighter and Pathan in her kitty. She was last seen in Gehraiyaan.
