‘Sanjay Leela Bhansali would appear in my nightmares, strangling me,’ says Heeramandi actor

4 min readNew DelhiJun 17, 2026 09:31 PM IST

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known to be a hard taskmaster on set. (Photo: Varinder Chawla)

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known to be a hard taskmaster and the actors who work with him have often shared anecdotes from the set where they have been made to do a single take numerous times, until he approves. Recently, actor Indresh Malik, who has worked with Bhansali in Heeramandi and Gangubai Kathiawadi, shared that his experience with the director was completely different as he was allowed to improvise within the framework of the scene. He also shared that SLB entertained all of his questions and recalled that he once had a nightmare where Bhansali was strangling him.

‘Bhansali is always surrounded by lots of people’

In a chat with Galatta India, Indresh Malik said that he always wished to work with Sanjay Leela Bhansali and said that he completely dedicated himself to the process of the director once he was on board. “I said I want to work with you, however you want to. I am a little stern and outspoken, but I am not silly. Sometimes I act silly but that’s okay.” He added that it took him a little time to warm up and develop a rapport with the director. “I told him beforehand that I would ask a lot of questions. You need some time to understand his expressions. Because he is always surrounded by lots of people,” the actor said.

“When I got a chance to work with him, I tried not to leave any stone unturned as far as his satisfaction with the character was concerned. My only concern was that he should not find any fault in my performance. I used to ask a lot of questions. And he would talk to me,” he shared and recalled that after starting Heeramandi, his role as Ustad Ji was increased, which was a praise for him as a performer.

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‘I was having nightmares about him’

But, the vibe of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s set wasn’t something that Indresh Malik appreciated. “I told him one day that I am having nightmares about you, that you will strangle me, and I get scared. I told him I am scared of the vibe. If you are nice to me, I will happily give my life for you, but working in an intimidating atmosphere makes me uncomfortable. If you know you can do the job, then everything can be done happily; one doesn’t need to panic extraordinarily. But everyone has a particular way of working,” he said. The actor recalled that sometimes after giving a good shot, he would scream in excitement, which others felt was odd.

Bhansali, Indresh recalled, also allowed him to improvise within the framework of the scene. “I am blessed and really thankful that I was allowed to improvise within the protocol. He would allow me to go beyond the written word,” he shared and recalled that Bhanslai would welcome discussions on set and made it a collaborative process with his team.

‘Bhansali would approve my shot in 20 takes’

Indresh Malik shared that since Sanjay Leela Bhansali demands perfection, actors would give many takes. So when he would get an okay shot after 20 takes, assistants would praise his work. “I would give 20 takes and people would be surprised that I could get it done as per his wish in just 20 takes. I would be very proud that I was attentive, listened to his instructions, and performed well enough that he said yes,” he recalled.

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Indresh also recalled the time when Bhansali was so impressed with his performance in an emotional scene that he promised him Rs 500 as a blessing, which the actor is yet to collect from him. “I will take it when I see him next,” he said.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is currently working on his film Love and War, starring Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal. Netflix greenlit the second season of Heeramandi in 2024, but there are no updates on the second season so far.