Once, composer Ismail Darbar’s name was inseparable from Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s. The maestro worked with the director in two iconic films—‘ Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ and ‘ Devdas’—both of which were noted for opulent sets as well as impeccable music. However, despite delivering two musical blockbusters, the two later fall out.
In a candid interview with Vickey Lalwani, Darbar opened up on his equation with the auteur and also reflected on the offscreen chemistry between Salman Khan and his then-girlfriend Aishwarya Rai on the sets of ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.’
Admitting that he was saddened by their split, the ‘Tadap Tadap’ maker said, “We felt bad, as they were such good friends and once had genuine love between them; it hurt to see them fight. I felt bad to see them argue. Now she’s another man’s wife. Salman never talks about her; he is discreet.”
Ismail hinted that filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s decision to cast Shah Rukh Khan in Devdas may have caused a rift with Salman Khan. He recalled that when he had been struggling for work, Bhansali gave him Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and in return, he had always stood by the director when needed. Ismail described Bhansali as his mentor in the film industry and expressed that their bond changed when Bhansali chose Salman’s direct rival, Shah Rukh, for Devdas. He suggested that anyone would feel hurt if they helped someone twice, only to see that person later favor a competitor.
He further mentioned that Salman had shown loyalty by working with Bhansali on Khamoshi, even though the film did not perform well at the box office. Despite that, Salman collaborated with him again for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, demonstrating trust and goodwill. Ismail implied that Bhansali’s later decision to cast Shah Rukh may have strained that professional relationship.
When it was suggested that Salman might have been excluded from Devdas because of Aishwarya Rai’s presence—his rumored former partner—Ismail acknowledged that their disagreements had once dominated media coverage. He expressed regret that such a close relationship had turned sour but added that those incidents were long behind them. According to him, Salman is too wise to ever publicly discuss that phase of his life.
As for his personal association with Bhansali, Ismail made it clear that he would never collaborate with the director again, regardless of the money involved.
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, released in 1999, turned out to be both a commercial blockbuster and a critical triumph. The romantic drama starred Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Ajay Devgn and was loosely adapted from Maitreyi Devi’s classic novel Na Hanyate.
In a candid interview with Vickey Lalwani, Darbar opened up on his equation with the auteur and also reflected on the offscreen chemistry between Salman Khan and his then-girlfriend Aishwarya Rai on the sets of ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam.’
Admitting that he was saddened by their split, the ‘Tadap Tadap’ maker said, “We felt bad, as they were such good friends and once had genuine love between them; it hurt to see them fight. I felt bad to see them argue. Now she’s another man’s wife. Salman never talks about her; he is discreet.”
Ismail hinted that filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s decision to cast Shah Rukh Khan in Devdas may have caused a rift with Salman Khan. He recalled that when he had been struggling for work, Bhansali gave him Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, and in return, he had always stood by the director when needed. Ismail described Bhansali as his mentor in the film industry and expressed that their bond changed when Bhansali chose Salman’s direct rival, Shah Rukh, for Devdas. He suggested that anyone would feel hurt if they helped someone twice, only to see that person later favor a competitor.
He further mentioned that Salman had shown loyalty by working with Bhansali on Khamoshi, even though the film did not perform well at the box office. Despite that, Salman collaborated with him again for Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, demonstrating trust and goodwill. Ismail implied that Bhansali’s later decision to cast Shah Rukh may have strained that professional relationship.
When it was suggested that Salman might have been excluded from Devdas because of Aishwarya Rai’s presence—his rumored former partner—Ismail acknowledged that their disagreements had once dominated media coverage. He expressed regret that such a close relationship had turned sour but added that those incidents were long behind them. According to him, Salman is too wise to ever publicly discuss that phase of his life.
As for his personal association with Bhansali, Ismail made it clear that he would never collaborate with the director again, regardless of the money involved.
Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, released in 1999, turned out to be both a commercial blockbuster and a critical triumph. The romantic drama starred Salman Khan, Aishwarya Rai, and Ajay Devgn and was loosely adapted from Maitreyi Devi’s classic novel Na Hanyate.
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