“I will always respect him,” Sanjay Leela Bhansali on Salman Khan

Fans' joy knew no bounds when Sanjay Leela Bhansali announced that he was joining forces with superstar Salman Khan for his next directorial venture Inshallah. Khan was onboard to star alongside Alia Bhatt in the film. However, something happened and Salman Khan decided to opt out of the film days before the team was set to begin production.

In a recent interview with a leading entertainment portal, Bhansali opened up about the possibility of working with Salman Khan again in the near future after the debacle of Inshallah.

The filmmaker, who is riding high on the success of his latest directorial Gangubai Kathiawadi (2022) acknowledged that there are differences. However, he added, “Salman is a very dear friend, and I wanted to work with him after Padmaavat (2018). I put my best feet forward to make it happen. For whatever reasons, it did not turn out. We all change as people. So, he has changed. In his mind, I have changed.”

The filmmaker further added that he has “utmost regard and respect” for the person who did Khamoshi (1996) and Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam for him.

“I have utmost regard and respect for the person who did Khamoshi for me, who did Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam for me, and who stood by in Saawariya (2007). So, he has been a very, very important part of who I am today and I will always respect him for it. The ball is in his court to decide if he wants to work with me, and if it is God willing it'll happen if it is supposed to happen,” Bhansali added.

According to reports, Bhansali will soon commence work on his much-talked-about streaming show Heeramandi, set at Netflix.