When Sanjay Leela Bhansali Shared His Dad Used To Drink At Morning 4.30 AM, 'He Was Violent..'

Bollywood's iconic and veteran filmmaker, Sanjay Leela Bhansali's childhood was traumatic. It was not a cakewalk as his father, Naveen Bhansali, was 'violent'. Sanjay, who turned 62 on February 25, 2025, has had an illustrious career in the filmmaking business for Bollywood. However, did you know his father was an alcoholic and had resounded to the same after he failed as a producer? Sanjay had once shared how his dad had never tasted success in the film industry and hence found solace in alcohol.

Sanjay Leela Bhansali once revealed how he struggled with his dad's alcoholism

Sanjay, once in an old interview with Simi Grewal, had shared that his father was addicted to alcohol and was also violent in nature. Naveen's addiction towards alcohol had made Sanjay's mother the matriarch of the house. As Bhansali's dad's financial issues came and his career in the industry deteriorated, he resorted to means of alcohol. Bhansali had once shared:

"Ever since I was born, I saw him drink. We saw a lot of violence growing up. We only saw anguish and bitterness against life growing up. He was a violent man. He never whipped us, but that's how we felt as kids. He was a broken man. I had seen him sitting with his drink at 4:30 in the morning and talking to his dog."

When Sanjay Leela Bhansali revealed his father was dominating

When Sanjay opened the unheard chapters of his life before Simi, he shared that his father had a dominating personality. It used to scare him as a kid as moneylenders were always at the house. Sanjay recalled how he and his family used to be looked down upon at social gatherings like weddings because his father used to get drunk. Bhansali admitted to having a very strained relationship with his father and never asked for his validation. 

 Sanjay Leela Bhansali also recalled his dad's last words

Sanjay also narrated the last words his dad had uttered to Simi. The filmmaker one day asked his broken father whom he loved the most, him or his sister, Bela? The filmmaker was left bereaved when his father said that he loved Bela more than anyone. In his words:

''Obviously, I love Bela a lot."

Sanjay's father passed away due to cirrhosis. His mom and he didn't get along, but in the dying moment, he came out of the state of coma and stretched out his hand to his mother. The Heeramandi filmmaker added:

"It was one moment of reaching out and holding, and he was gone. I realized my mother sacrificed 22 years of her life for this one moment."

Sanjay Leela Bhansali once shared how his dad influenced him to make Devdas

Earlier in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter India, Bhansali revealed that he made the film Devdas after he was influenced by his dad's alcoholism. He shared that the cinema that comes out of Devdas was a tribute to that alcohol bottle his father cherished. In his words:

"And then I have every film as a subtext. From that subtext comes the natural expression. It is not, here is a story of a spy who goes here and does this, and then there was action, and there was beautiful dialogue. No, no, no. It is personal cinema."

What do you think of Sanjay Leela Bhansali's revelation on his alcoholic dad?

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