Richa Chadha defends SLB against allegations of being short-tempered, temperamental
Richa Chadha, starring in the upcoming historical drama series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, has publicly defended director Sanjay Leela Bhansali against allegations of being "temperamental," an accusation he has contested frequently. In an exclusive interview with News18 Showsha, Chadha stated that labeling someone as "temperamental" is a subjective opinion. She further stressed that actors, being the most "privileged" group on a set, should not criticize Bhansali's high standards.
Chadha emphasized that actors have to deliver, come what may
The actor said, "Actors are really coddled. On a massive show, sometimes they might not want to give a long shot and want their body doubles to give cues to other actors. They themselves might not want to give cues, step in hot water, and do a take 99 times. But these are the things that are asked of an actor irrespective of whether they're ill or it's pouring." "Come hell or high water, we've to deliver."
'I don't understand why people say these things'
Further explaining the nature of her job, she added, "I'm not saying that one needs to be inhuman in terms of treating an actor. But this is literally our job. I don't understand why people say these things." "I think I've quite a privileged job. We aren't the first or the last ones to leave a set. Whenever we stand, someone comes and offers us a chair to sit on and water to drink."
She further praised his work and 'compassion'
The Fukrey actor added, "There's a lot of money riding on him and his projects. I would probably have the same high standards if I was a director. Bhansali sir is the captain of the ship. And at the same time, I find him to be very compassionate about our moods." Notably, Heeramandi co-stars Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, and Fardeen Khan and will premiere on Netflix on May 1.
Shekhar Suman has backed Bhansali's high expectations too
Actor Shekhar Suman, also a part of Heermandi, recently backed Bhansali's high expectations. While talking to Siddharth Kannan, he responded to claims of Bhansali being "short-tempered" and said, "He has every right to be. Why does he get angry? You would notice that perfectionists are always short-tempered because they get impatient with everybody else for not being at their level." "In fact, I will tell him, Aur gussa karo (be angrier)."
Flashback: Ranbir Kapoor's startling allegations against SLB
Over the years, there have been several reports about Bhansali's alleged anger and extreme demands on the sets. For instance, in 2016, Ranbir Kapoor said on No Filter Neha, "He was a hard taskmaster, and I was kneeling down on set; he was beating me...after a point, it got so heavy that I felt so tortured that I had to quit the film. He got too much and went crazy as far as I was concerned."
