Mumbai, Feb 24
Actress Manisha Koirala penned a heartfelt birthday note for filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, calling him a "genius" and praising his unwavering devotion to cinema and the pursuit of excellence.
Taking to Instagram, Manisha lauded Bhansali's intensity, discipline and poetic storytelling, saying that stepping into the world he creates is both a challenge and a privilege for any actor.
"Happy Birthday, Sanjay. To call you a genius would be easy - but what truly defines you is your devotion. Your devotion to cinema, to beauty, to music, to emotion... and to the relentless pursuit of excellence."
"I have always admired the way you surrender yourself completely to your art. The intensity, the discipline, the madness, the poetry - all of it becomes part of the world you create. And as actors, stepping into your universe is both a challenge and a privilege."
She credited him for not just directing scenes but "sculpting feelings" and composing stories like symphonies, while highlighting the rare vulnerability that underlines the grandeur of his cinema.
"You don't just direct scenes - you sculpt feelings. You don't just tell stories - you compose them like symphonies. Your cinema has grandeur, yes - but it also carries deep vulnerability. And that is rare."
The actress concluded: "On your birthday, I wish you continued fire in your heart, courage in your vision, and the same uncompromising passion that makes you who you are. May you keep creating worlds that outlive us all. With warmth, admiration, and respect - always."
Manisha first worked with Bhansali in the 1996 romantic drama musical film Khamoshi: The Musical. The film also stars Salman Khan, Nana Patekar, and Seema Biswas. The film followed Annie, a hearing and speech-impaired couple's daughter, who meets Raj, who brings music and love to her life. However, she has to overcome obstacles when her family refuses to accept their relationship.
Manisha's portrayal of Annie, a caring daughter of a deaf-mute couple, was critically praised, and is regarded as one of her finest performances.
She was then seen in Bhansali's Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, a period drama television series.
Set in the red-light district of Heera Mandi in Lahore during the Indian independence movement, the series explores the lives of tawaifs and their intersection with political and personal struggles under British colonial rule.
The ensemble cast also includes Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Sheikh, Sharmin Segal, and Taha Shah Badussha.
- IANS
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