"SRK has no rights to destroy 150 people" - Bhansali

Sanjay Leela Bhansali has come out fighting in defense of his movie Saawariya, and at the top of his target list is… Shah Rukh Khan.

As Om Shanti Om runs away with the top accolades for the Diwali battle, director Sanjay Leela Bhansali has gone on record to ask the Bollywood King Shah Rukh Khan some very awkward questions. “Shah Rukh Khan is the king of Bollywood. He can say whatever he likes. But why is he going around saying, ‘I will destroy them?' Where is the dignity of the reigning superstar? Why compare yourself to a film with two newcomers? Who are you to destroy them? Have you created them? Do we eat off your plate? Have we made the film with your money? What gives you the right to say you will destroy 150 people who have invested so much in the film? Let people judge. It's a film with good values, and principles, people should appreciate that,” said an angry Bhansali last night.

He then went on to express his disappointment further, “You feel disappointed. We decided that we'll maintain a certain dignity and not pull each other's films down. But then he started making comments like he will destroy us.”

When asked about the success of Om Shanti Om, Bhansali responded, “I feel that acting is not about six-packs but I've never said it until now. Why ‘destroy' us? It's time for new cinema, cricketers, politicians. Let the newcomers like Ranbir come in. Shah Rukh Khan will remain a king. Just because People love (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni, it doesn't mean they will forget Sachin (Tendulkar).”

Maybe positioning Saawariya against Om Shanti Om was not a good strategy, “I've got a big opening. No other filmmaker would've got that against a Shah Rukh Khan film, and it's a big deal. We got the biggest opening for an Indian film with newcomers in the lead. Anyway, why compare two completely different films? My films are about art, and OSO is about commerce. People are walking out of OSO too, so why are we only talking about people not liking Saawariya? There is an agenda to this,” responded Bhansali positively.

When asked about why critics such as Komal Nahta and Taran Adarsh blasted the movie, Bhansali responded, ““Only a handful of critics are trying to influence the audience against the film…Komal and Taran belong to the cinema of the eighties, they are antiquated and I never expected them to understand ‘Saawariya'. Great cinema should be kept away from such reviewers.”

Rajiv Dutta, Indiatarget