Image was shared on Instagram. (Image courtesy: bhansaliproductions)

New Delhi:

Director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has been making headlines for the past couple of weeks courtesy his latest offering – Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. In a recent interview with Bollywood Hungama, the director opened up about the friendship he shares with Salman Khan, who has also starred in a number of films directed by him. During the interview, Sanjay said, “The only person that I’m still friendly with is Salman Khan. Even if Inshallah didn’t happen, he stands by me. He’ll call me; he’ll care for me. ‘Are you okay? Is there anything (you need)? You’ve goofed up, you messed up’. I enjoy his humour so much. It (phone call) comes once in three months, once in five months, but it comes because he doesn’t care about my film. He cares about me. ‘You, bro, you’ve done so many films with me, it doesn’t matter. Are you okay?’ And that is what it is all about.”

For those wondering, the two had been involved in the making of Inshallah but the project got shelved due to creative differences.

Talking about the film that didn’t go through, the director said, “On work, we may have sparred, we may have not had our moment correct, and it didn’t fall into place. But after one month, he called me, and I called him, and we talked. So that is a friend. In that sense, I’m fortunate enough to have that friend who once in six months will speak and will exactly start from where we left.”

Salman Khan and Sanjay Leela Bhansali have worked together in films like Khamoshi, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Saawariya etc. 

After the magnificent success of Heeramandi, the director is now gearing up for the shooting of his next film Love & War, which stars Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal in the lead roles. The film is slated to release in December 2025.