Sanjay Leela Bhansali with Manisha Koirala. (courtesy: m_koirala)
Sanjay Leela Bhansali'sGangubai Kathiawadi, headlined by Alia Bhatt, stole all the limelight at the 68th Filmfare Awards by sweeping 10 trophies. The critically acclaimed movie won Best Actress, Best Director and Best Film, among other awards on Thursday night in Mumbai. The milestone achieved by Sanjay Leela Bhansali has obviously left his colleagues, friends and fans elated and thrilled. Actress Manisha Koirala, who has been working with the filmmaker on his upcoming web series Heeramandi, also gave him a shout-out on Instagram. She posted a photo with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and called him a “genius.” Her post read: “So, so, so proud of you dear Sanjay...working with you has reminded me yet again why I am in this field after 3 decades. You are a true artist…you breathe cinema…you live for it…you give your all to cinema.”
Manisha added: “This level of consistent hard work is the epitome of work ethics I rarely get to witness! Awards are the by-product of your passion and getting 10 Filmfare awards is a great milestone! Here's wishing you many more...keep us on our toes, keep us inspired, keep us in awe with your cinema! We love you my genius friend!” The photo also features her Heeramandi co-star Sharmin Segal.
Manisha Koirala and Sanjay Leela Bhansali go way back. She was the lead actress in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's directorial debut, the 1996 film Khamoshi which also starred Salman Khan.
See her post here:
Gangubai Kathiawadi is based on the life of Mumbai's sex worker-turned-mafia queen of the same name. It was slated to release in 2020 but couldn't due to the coronavirus pandemic. After a premiere at the 72nd Berlin International Film Festival, Gangubai Kathiawadi released in India in February last year and went on to become a box-office hit. Apart from Alia, the film also starred Seema Pahwa, Shantanu Maheshwari, Vijay Raaz and Ajay Devgn.
At the Filmfare Awards, Gangubai Kathiawadi won Best Film, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Female), Best Director, Best Dialogue, RD Burman Award for Upcoming Music Talent, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Background Score, Best Choreography and Best Cinematography.
After Gangubai Kathiawadi, Sanjay Leela Bhansali is working on Heeramandi, which is set in pre-Independence India and is based on the life of courtesans. The series also stars Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, and Sanjeeda Sheikh.