EXCLUSIVE: Sharmin Segal was hospitalised for 6 days after Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Ghalib Hona Hai shoot with Armaan Malik

Sanjay Leela Bhansali is on just another level as a filmmaker, but after giving music in his films, recently he released his own music album titled Sukoon. One of the songs in the album titled Ghalib Hona Hai brings back the ghazal genre, and has the vocals of Armaan Malik, who also features in the song’s video along with SLB’s niece Sharmin Segal. The young duo got into an exclusive conversation with Bollywood Bubble recently where they spoke about their childhood connection, working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali, one-sided love and much more. Excerpts from the interview:

Armaan, if there is someone who could have made Ghazal cool for this generation, it had to be you…

Sharmin: “For sure. Armaan’s fan following is crazy. Young girls go ballistic over him. And I think after this, everyone will love him.”

Armaan: “They are all going crazy over the kajal look currently.”

Sharmin: “You know, I noticed it after watching the video for the sixth time, and I realised it by the end of the video. I knew it when we shot the video one-and-a-half year ago, but then I forgot it.”

Sharmin, how was it seeing Armaan’s acting skills in front of you and considering you know each other from childhood, how has it been witnessing his growth as an artist?

Sharmin: “I have known Armaan since we were around four years old, and I always remember him singing. When Malaal album was being made by Sanjay sir, I asked him if he could please have Armaan sing a song as he is really good. He really resonates with the younger audience and getting him to sing a love song might actually work. That time it didn’t work out, then suddenly my mama comes out one day and tell me Armaan is singing a ghazal in his music album. And I was like after everything, you are making him sing a ghazal? But when I heard it, I was like this guy is going to bring back a completely different genre that this generation is oblivious to.

I have never done a music video before and Armaan has done God knows how many. So, when we were doing it, I was like since it has a little story, will he be able to give me reactions. But when we shot, I was shocked. I was like Armaan can act. I didn’t feel like I was with my best friend on set, or a superstar, I felt like I was shooting with another actor.”

Armaan: “If I can say this, I was shi***** my pants to be honest. When Sanjay sir makes you sing a song, I thought I will do my riyaz and sing, but we still had to do four takes of 7 hours each. One day he just called me to his office and I saw Sharmin sitting there, along with our director with scripts in their hands. And I was like, wait, what is happening. I thought they were gonna have a marketing meeting, but here I was reading scripts and I was like are we getting cast together for this video? I looked at Sharmin and she was like, you didn’t know? I had thought that this was Sanjay sir’s universe, there would be some harmonium, tabla in a court with something grand palatial happening. I thought he would cast his favourite actors like Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone. But getting to work with Sharmin was just so exciting.”

But Sharmin, the post shoot experience was also quite memorable for you…

Sharmin: “I had vada pav with extra chutney on the set on the second day. We finished shoot on the third day and the fourth day I was in a hospital with typhoid. I got a 101 degree fever the next day of completing shoot and I was sitting in my room listening to AP Dhillon when suddenly my mom came to tell me that my blood test came back, I had typhoid and I had to be admitted to the hospital. For 6 days I was in the hospital, and I was like I am never eating set food again, but that turned out to be a lie because I have been eating samosa with extra chutney everyday.”

 

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Seeing Sanjay sir as your uncle growing up, how long did it take for you to see him as a professional after you started working with him? 

Sharmin: “I have always said that I have had 3 life changing experiences with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. My first one was when I was 4 and Devdas was made. I didn’t understand anything at the time about filmmaking, I just used to go on sets and be like ‘Shah Rukh Khan, Shah Rukh Khan’. When I was 18, I watched Devdas again, and I was like Oh my God, I am related to a genius. How has this person created this kind of cinema in 2001. He literally took the perspective of a camera and expanded it completely. I appreciate him so much more as a filmmaker because of what he has brought to Indian cinema. Then, after that, I assisted on Bajirao Mastani and I was actually getting yelled at by him. I was seeing him executing the nuanced moments in every department and again I was like whatever I have seen and appreciated, now I was seeing the effort that goes behind it. Now with Heermandi happening, I am standing in front of the camera with him directing me and that has completely changed the amount of respect I have for him, as it has skyrocketed. He is my uncle only when I want presents from him, otherwise he is always Sanjay sir for me.”

 

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Armaan, we all know about the legend that Sanjay Leela Bhansali sir is, but for you, how was it seeing his brilliance in action as a music composer?

Armaan: “I had always heard about Sanjay sir being so involved in the music of his films as a composer. When I went into the studio and I saw him composing, my respect on seeing him in that environment was completely different. I think he is the only director who is musically next level. He knows exactly what he wants from his singers, just like he knows with his actors. He was showing me each and every murkhi in the song by doing it himself and this is a big deal. Initially, we spoke very candidly and he said to me ki he never thought I would be able to sing a ghazal. After seeing me rehearse, he looked around and asked everyone where had they been hiding this voice. I realised so much potential in my own voice after working with him. My father said this to me that now that I have sang for Sanjay Leela Bhansali, I have arrived.”

 

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The video shows the story of one-sided love and infatuation. Has that ever happened to you in real life? 

Sharmin: “Yes. I think it is more of a high school thing. And when I was a kid, that was changing every month.”

Armaan: “I agree with Sharmin, although mine didn’t use to change every month. I remember I was in 7th grade and I really loved this girl. For me, it was like I love this girl, I have to marry this girl. But the rejection I faced at that time, I came home crying and even wrote a song. My debut album has this track called Bas Is Pal Mein, it has a hook line ‘Main rukk raha hun, kab kahegi tu I love you’, and that is from that time when I really used to love this girl, and she never loved me back. At that time, you just feel like I love this person, how the hell do they don’t love you back. But that is what childhood love is all about.”

Also Read: Sanjay Leela Bhansali announces first music album Sukoon, to be out on THIS date