Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for his spectacular and classic movies and has entertained audiences with his extraordinary art direction skills. The filmmaker is celebrating his 61st birthday today and it’s one of the best times to recall the journey of how Bhansali made it to the top.

Do you know Bhansali also choreographed two movies?

A lesser-known fact about Bhansali was once revealed by filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra who shared that Bhansali has previously worked as a choreographer. The 12th Fail director shared that Sanjay choreographed songs for his films Parinda and 1942: A Love Story.

Recalling their early collaboration, Chopra mentioned that he noticed Bhansali's talent during their time together at the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII). This led to Bhansali's involvement in Parinda as an assistant director and in 1942: A Love Story as a writer.

Vidhu at an event quoted, "Sanjay Bhansali was an editing student. He made a song in the institute (FTII), so I asked him 'who choreographed this song?' He said, 'I did it'. I told him to work with me. He has done choreography in 'Parinda' and in '1942: A Love Story'. He had that talent, which I noticed. I notice talent in everyone.”

Vidhu has helped many people scale in their careers

Chopra has a track record of recognizing potential in individuals. His film Parinda marked a turning point for actors Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff in 1989. He also introduced Hrithik Roshan to the industry in Mission Kashmir (2000) and launched Vidya Balan and director Pradeep Sarkar with Parineeta (2005).

Furthermore, Chopra played a significant role in shaping the career of blockbuster filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani, giving him his break with Munna Bhai MBBS in 2003. As a producer, Chopra backed Hirani's successful ventures such as Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots, PK and Sanju. This year he gave a big break to actors Vikrant Massey and Medha Shankr.