Sanjay Leela Bhansali at Berlin Film Fest: We represent Indian cinema, calling it Bollywood is wrong

Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Gangubai Kathiawadi, which stars Alia Bhatt, was screened at Berlin International Film Festival. The director expressed his views on Indian cinema and why it’s wrong to put it all under the umbrella of Bollywood.

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali and actress Alia Bhatt’s Gangubai Kathiawadi had its world premiere at the Berlin International Film Festival 2022. During a press conference, Bhansali talked about representing Indian cinema, not Bollywood, at a global level.

At the Berlin Film Festival, Sanjay Leela Bhansali revealed that Alia Bhatt’s boyfriend, Ranbir Kapoor, complains she talks like Gangubai at home. The director also talked about how Indian cinema is widely regarded as Bollywood, but it’s wrong to use that term.

Responding to a journalist during a press conference in Berlin, Sanjay Leela Bhansali said, “A Hindi, Malayalam or Telugu film is an Indian film. Bollywood is a very quaint term. It’s Indian cinema for which we come here, we stand and represent it to the world. Indian cinema has got so many languages. It’s a world of its own. To just call it Bollywood would be wrong. I appreciate the fact that you have recognised that it’s Indian cinema that we talk about.”

Sharing the video on Instagram, the official page of Bhansali Productions wrote, “Representing Indian Cinema at the world stage with pride #GangubaiKathiawadi in cinemas on 25th Feb (sic).”

At the red carpet of Berlin Film Festival, Alia Bhatt greeted her fans in pure Gangubai style with her hands joined in ‘namaste’ gesture high above her head. She looked ethereal in a white saree.