'I was struggling': When Aditi Rao Hydari revealed Sanjay Leela Bhansali made her fast for a day to film rousing 'Heeramandi' scenes

As Aditi Rao Hydari rings in her birthday today, fans are revisiting one of her most striking revelations from an earlier interview with The Hollywood Reporter. The actress had opened up about the demanding process of shooting for Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s lavish period drama 'Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar.' Known for his uncompromising vision and attention to detail, Bhansali pushed his cast to emotional and physical limits, and Aditi’s story remains a powerful reminder of her dedication and artistry.

Sleepless nights over dance sequences

In the interview, Aditi revealed that her two mujra performances gave her “sleepless nights.” Despite being a trained dancer since childhood, she admitted that performing mujra was unlike anything she had done before. “I have grown up dancing since I was a little girl, but mujra was a very different form,” she said. “I had learned Bharatanatyam, but this was Kathak, and it was Kathak through the eyes of Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who is a perfectionist and knows exactly what he wants. Getting it right without disappointing him really kept me awake at night.”


Her role as Bibbojaan, a gifted singer and dancer secretly involved in India’s independence movement, required both grace and intensity. Capturing that duality was a test of skill and endurance, and Aditi credits Bhansali’s rigorous approach for helping her access raw emotion.

The hunger behind the emotion

Aditi went on to share an astonishing detail about how Bhansali helped her channel deeper emotion for a pivotal scene. “For the scenes where I had to give rousing speeches, Sanjay sir kept me starving for a day,” she recalled. “He said those moments don’t come naturally and that hunger would help me. I did it happily because it truly helped, hangry help!”

She laughed as she remembered Bhansali teasing her, saying, “If I ask her to do a rousing scene, she’ll make it look like a shringaar scene. So I told her, don’t eat.”

Aditi’s commitment paid off. Her portrayal of Bibbojaan remains one of her most acclaimed performances. As fans celebrate her birthday today, her story serves as a reminder of her dedication, artistry, and fearless pursuit of perfection.