Music composer Ismail Darbar has finally spoken about his long-standing issues with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He called the director “egoistic” and said he would never work with him again, not even if offered Rs 100 crore.
Darbar shared his experience in a candid interview with Vickey Lalwani on YouTube. He first worked with Bhansali on Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and later on Devdas. These films brought him acclaim, but tensions reportedly began during the promotion of Heeramandi – The Diamond Bazaar.
Ismail Darbar Reveals How Things Between Him And Sanjay Leela Bhansali Turned UGLY
He said, “The working dynamic changed after a media article called my music the backbone of Heeramandi.” The report praised the cast but highlighted his music as the strongest part. Bhansali allegedly thought Darbar had planted the story, which created a rift between them.
Darbar recalled, “I said – Look, if I have to break the news, I won’t be scared of you. I’ll say it outright that yes, I said it… I still don’t know who that man was, but he put that news out and Sanjay found out. He called me into his office and asked – Ismail, how could you say that? After that, he said – Alright, let it go. After that I understood that ‘let it go’ really meant that sooner or later he would put me in a position where I would leave Heeramandi myself. I left before that could happen.”
When asked if Bhansali tried to call him back for future projects, Darbar said, “Why would he? He understood – when the backbone is Ismail Darbar: I was the backbone in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam… I was the backbone in Devdas too. I’m not the one saying this – his PR said it, it was on the front pages. So I had seen his ego. Fear had crept in that I work so hard and he takes the credit.”
Ismail Says SLB Told PR Teams Not To Give Him Interviews
Darbar revealed that he was initially scheduled to work on Guzaarish, but old arguments from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas had already escalated. He also said Bhansali had instructed PR teams not to give him interviews, making the situation worse.
“Today, if Sanjay comes and says to me, ‘Please do the music for my film, I’ll give you Rs 100 crore,’ I’ll tell him, ‘Pehli fursat mein chale jaa yahan se.’ (Please leave now),” Darbar said, showing that their fallout is permanent.
The composer also reflected on past attempts to reconcile. In 2014, he said their creative differences were not personal and could be solved. He even credited Bhansali for supporting him when no one else understood his music. But now, the issues seem to have resurfaced and grown stronger.
