When Ranbir Kapoor Claimed Bhansali 'Tortured' Him During Saawariya Shoot: 'He Was Beating Me'

Ranbir Kapoor made his acting debut with Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s 2007 movie Saawariya. While it’s been almost 18 years since the film hit theatres, an old interview of the actor recently re-surfaced on Reddit in which he was seen talking about working with Bhansali. Ranbir claimed that he felt “tortured” during Saawariya’s shoot and stated that the filmmaker used to beat him up.

“He (Bhansali) was a hard task-master and I was kneeling down on set, he was beating me…after a point it got so heavy and I felt so tortured that I had to quit the film at a point…I think it was like 10 or 11 months into my job and I am like ‘ listen I cant do this, its getting to me’ I think I am too sensitive and emotional and he got to know me so well and he kind of kept poking into that… he got too much, went crazy as far as I was concerned,” Ranbir said when he appeared on Neha Dhupia’s podcast No Filter Neha in 2016.

“Having said that I think all my performances that I do in cinema it all comes from that experience, from him …he was a true teacher in that sense…he taught me everything in terms of acting and emotions and stuff like that,” the actor added.

Saawariya was not just Ranbir Kapoor’s Bollywood debut. The film also marked the acting debut of Anil Kapoor’s daughter, Sonam Kapoor.

Meanwhile, Ranbir Kapoor will be working with Sanjay Leela Bhansali once again soon. The actor will be seen in the filmmaker’s Love and War. The film was announced in January this year and will also star Vicky Kaushal and Alia Bhatt in the lead. Recently, News18 Showsha learnt that the film will go on floors in November this year.

“The shoot of Love And War will begin in Mumbai but a set for the same is yet to be constructed. The film will have some elaborate song sequences and for the same, Bhansali is personally still in discussions with his production design team. As for Vicky, when he will join the shoot still remains unclear,” a source close to the production told us.

Love and War is slated to hit theatres on Christmas 2025.