'Won't work with him even for Rs 100 cr': Ismail Darbar on fallout with Sanjay Leela Bhansali

Music composer Ismail Darbar spoke about his long-time collaboration with filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali. In an interview, he discussed their creative partnership, his bold approach in discussions, and why their relationship faced challenges during Heeramandi.

A unique working relationship from the start

In his conversation with Vickey Lalwani, Darbar said his working relationship with Bhansali was unique from the start. While working on Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, he didn’t shy away from expressing his own ideas. “I was always very clear about what I liked and how I wanted things to sound. If Sanjay suggested something I didn’t agree with, I would say it upfront,” he explained.


He said their creative process included healthy disagreements, as he often rejected ideas he didn’t believe in. Years later, they reunited for Bhansali’s web series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar, where Darbar spent nearly a year and a half crafting the music with great dedication.

Rift over media coverage

However, their relationship took a turn after a media article called Darbar the “backbone” of Heeramandi, highlighting his music as the show’s strongest element despite its star-studded cast. Bhansali reportedly saw the piece and assumed Darbar had orchestrated it himself, which caused a rift between them.

Darbar recalls confrontation with Bhansali

He shared, “I said, ‘Look, if I have to break the news, I won’t be scared of you; I’ll say it outright that yes, I said it…’ I still don’t know who that man was, but he put that news out and Sanjay found out. He called me into his office and asked, ‘Ismail, how could you say that?’ After that he said, ‘Alright, let it go.’ After that I understood that ‘let it go’ really meant that sooner or later he would put me in a position where I would leave Heeramandi myself. I left before that could happen."



Bhansali apparently never tried to call him back. “Why would he? He understood — when the backbone is Ismail Darbar: I was the backbone in Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam… I was the backbone in Devdas too. I’m not the one saying this — his PR said it, it was on the front pages. So I had seen his ego. Fear had crept in that I work so hard and he takes the credit," Ismail shared.

Thoughts on Heeramandi

Sharing his views on Bhansali's last venture, Heeramandi, he added, “It wasn’t because my music wasn’t in it. One thing I will say: if I had done the music for this Heeramandi, I would have made it immortal. What I had prepared, Sanjay wouldn’t even have been able to reach that level — this I know.’"

Ismail also revealed that he was set to work with Bhansali on Guzaarish, but their disagreements during Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam and Devdas strained their relationship further. He added that Sanjay even instructed PR teams not to give him interview opportunities.

When asked about their current status, Ismail said, “Today, if Sanjay comes and says to me, ‘Please do the music for my film, I’ll give you Rs 100 crore,’ I’ll tell him, ‘Pehli fursat mein chale jaa yahan se.’"