Sanjay Leela Bhansali[a] (Gujarati: [ˈsəndʒeː ˈlilɑ ˈbʱəɳsɑli]; born 24 February 1963) is an Indian film director, producer, screenwriter, editor and music composer, who works in Hindi cinema.

[4] Bhansali reinforced his status with the tragic romance Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013), and the top-grossing period dramas Bajirao Mastani (2015) and Padmaavat (2018).

In 1996, he made his directorial debut with Khamoshi: The Musical, the commercially unsuccessful but critically acclaimed film about a daughter's struggle to communicate with her deaf-mute parents.

He rose to prominence in Indian cinema with the musical love triangle Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam (1999), starring Aishwarya Rai, Salman Khan, and Ajay Devgn, which established his individualistic stamp for visual splendour and creating auras of celebration and festivity.

In 2006, Bhansali participated as a judge on reality TV show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa alongside Farah Khan and Shilpa Shetty.

In 2012, Bhansali produced Rowdy Rathore, a remake of the Telugu film Vikramarkudu, starring Akshay Kumar and Sonakshi Sinha and directed by Prabhu Deva.

The film received mixed reviews from critics and became a major commercial success, with Box Office India labelling it as a blockbuster.

[26] The following year, he produced the romantic comedy Shirin Farhad Ki Toh Nikal Padi, which also received positive reviews, but could not perform well at the box office.

In 2013, Bhansali directed the tragic romance Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela, an adaptation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, starring Deepika Padukone and Ranveer Singh.

Some religious groups opposed the film claiming that the former title Ramleela was misleading, because the movie had nothing to do with Ramlila, the traditional enactment of the life and story of Hindu deity, Lord Rama.

The film's release had been stayed by Delhi High Court due to the controversy over its title, claiming that the movie hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.

The same year, Bhansali debuted in television with the show Saraswatichandra, starring Gautam Rode and Jennifer Winget, which he later left after few episodes.

In 2015, he produced the action drama Gabbar Is Back starring Akshay Kumar, which also emerged as a commercial success and received positive reviews from critics.

[28] The descendants of Bajirao I and Mastani expressed their disapproval of this film, claiming excessive creative liberty by Bhansali causing wrongful portrayal of their ancestors.

[38][39][37] On 6 March 2017, members of Shri Rajput Karni Sena vandalised the Chittor Fort again and broke the mirrors installed in the palace of Rani Padmini.

In 2022, Bhansali directed Gangubai Kathiawadi, a biographical crime drama based on a chapter of Hussain Zaidi's book Mafia Queens of Mumbai.

[47] Bhansali will next direct Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, and Vicky Kaushal in the romantic drama film Love & War, which is scheduled for release in 2026.