Fardeen Khan reveals Sanjay Leela Bhansali refused to work with him in the 2000s

Fardeen Khan is making his acting comeback after over a decade with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Netflix series, Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.

In an interview with Pinkvilla, Fardeen revealed he approached Sanjay for work in the 2000s, but the director felt he lacked passion.

Fardeen Khan on Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s comment
In the recent interview, Fardeen was told that Sanjay had written a small role for him in Black (2005). However, it couldn’t materialise. The actor responded by saying this was news to him.

He said, “You know I am going to narrate a story that I reminded Sanjay sir when I went to meet him for Wali Mohammed (Fardeen character in Heeramandi). I had gone to his office in the early 2000s to seek work. Obviously to get the opportunity to work with him. He met with me, we sat, we spoke for about 10-15 minutes. He said, ‘You know Fardeen I don’t think we can work because I don’t see that fire in your eyes’.”

‘Of course it felt brutal’
Fardeen added, “At that time, of course, it felt brutal, and I told him this time that even if that sounded brutal at the time, that’s exactly what I wanted to hear, I needed to hear rather. I thanked him for it. He never told me about wanting to cast me in Black. I am hearing it for the first time. But just to have this chance to be able to work with a master craftsman like him, I am extremely grateful for it. It’s been a wonderful learning experience. It has enriched me on many levels.”

More about Heeramandi
Heeramandi is based on the lives of a set of courtesans in pre-independence India. It stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha, Sanjeeda Shaikh, and Sharmin Segal in the lead roles. Fardeen Khan will also be seen in the series alongside Taha Shah, Shekhar Suman, and Adhyayan Suman.