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Sanjay Leela Bhansali: 'Friendship in Bollywood is difficult'

Sanjay Leela Bhansali

© PA Images

Sanjay Leela Bhansali has said that it is hard to sustain friendships in the Hindi film industry.

The 48-year-old director has reportedly had strained relationships with Ajay Devgn, Aditya Chopra, Rani Mukerji, Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor.

"Friendship in Bollywood… it's difficult! Difficult because there is a lot of competition. People are very friendly, they are warm, they are nice… and there are a lot of people who are friends for long… but real friendship is tough here," Bhansali told IANS.

"Bollywood is a competitive place. But for me at least, if a friendship means that I have to work with the same actor and the same actress because that's what friendship is, then that is not friendship for me. That becomes a liability - a liability that you are bound to a person."

The filmmaker described what he believed to be an ideal friendship in the industry, saying: "I feel a good friend in the industry is a person who says, 'Okay, you've made a film with me, we had a great working relationship. Now if your other script demands another person, it doesn't mean you're taking anything away from me, or you are betraying me or backstabbing me.'


Known for films such as Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas and Black, Bhansali admitted to having few close companions in Bollywood.


Bhansali recently had a disagreement with Farah Khan over the clash between the release of their films.

"A friend will start off exactly where he left it and Farah Khan stands for what I am talking about," he said.

"We had a problem… but I knew if I go to her with a film, she will start from where we left... There are good friends like that… Salman has been a very good friend over the years, and so have lots of others."

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