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On Beauty: The Cinema of Sanjay Leela Bhansali
What does it mean to be in the presence of beauty? And how can one explore and understand this through the filmography of writer, director, editor, music composer, and choreographer Sanjay Leela Bhansali?
In this sweeping text, Prathyush Parasuraman walks the reader through the auteur’s films — those hailed, those hauled — like Gangubai Kathiawadi, Padmaavat, Devdas, Ram-Leela, and Saawariya. With sensitivity and finesse, On Beauty examines beauty as an idea, and aesthetics as a philosophy, while simultaneously shedding light on the making of Bhansali’s painstaking frames through conversations with his cinematographers, composers, choreographers, and production and costume designers. In these pages, Bhansali’s cinema comes alive.
In this sweeping text, Prathyush Parasuraman walks the reader through the auteur’s films — those hailed, those hauled — like Gangubai Kathiawadi, Padmaavat, Devdas, Ram-Leela, and Saawariya. With sensitivity and finesse, On Beauty examines beauty as an idea, and aesthetics as a philosophy, while simultaneously shedding light on the making of Bhansali’s painstaking frames through conversations with his cinematographers, composers, choreographers, and production and costume designers. In these pages, Bhansali’s cinema comes alive.
195 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 29, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
August 31, 2026
The day I saw this book came out, I QTed it with 'someone has written a book for exactly my taste'and damn!, what a great payoff finally. My YouTube video playlist of my favourite SLB music videos - which I return to often when I want to be entranced - has been vindicated. What a pleasure to also know that Kuch Na Kaho (and all song of the movie) which I hold to be one of the best choreographed duets of 90s was directed by Bhansali!
Pratyush does an excellent job diving deep into Bhansali aesthetics - his defining characteristic, whether it be perceived as garishly loud or all-encompassing transcendence. But this isn't done in a way of simply verbalising the blueprint of how his movies construct the experience. Nor does it read like an academic thesis. It's far more personal and philosophical - Prathyush invites us to wonder about beauty and rationality, submission and self, ethics and politics by not just discussing SLB's work but also it's divisive reception, and the author's own journey. This is also the first time I've read a book that discusses aesthetic theory to this extent, that too in a way accessible to me. I enjoyed that very much.
Also, Pratyush should seriously consider writing fiction. He has his way with words, I reread some sentences for how beautiful they are. That paragraph where he narrated the beginning of Lahu Munh Lag Gaya felt like it came straight out of an excellent novel.
Anyways, back to watch Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan for the 50th time this week.
Pratyush does an excellent job diving deep into Bhansali aesthetics - his defining characteristic, whether it be perceived as garishly loud or all-encompassing transcendence. But this isn't done in a way of simply verbalising the blueprint of how his movies construct the experience. Nor does it read like an academic thesis. It's far more personal and philosophical - Prathyush invites us to wonder about beauty and rationality, submission and self, ethics and politics by not just discussing SLB's work but also it's divisive reception, and the author's own journey. This is also the first time I've read a book that discusses aesthetic theory to this extent, that too in a way accessible to me. I enjoyed that very much.
Also, Pratyush should seriously consider writing fiction. He has his way with words, I reread some sentences for how beautiful they are. That paragraph where he narrated the beginning of Lahu Munh Lag Gaya felt like it came straight out of an excellent novel.
Anyways, back to watch Aankhon Ki Gustakhiyan for the 50th time this week.
February 18, 2026
Everyone talks about the significance of beauty in filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali films. The way he scales his project, the way he designs his sets and the way he dresses his characters. We all associate Bhansali movies with chandeliers, lamps, flowing fabric, with moonlight and with beautiful women and men, but what goes behind this labour of love and why?
Film critics have glossed over Bhansali's aesthetics, his lyrical frames and haunting melodies and yet strangely nobody thought of writing a book solely on the beauty of his cinema except Prathyush Parsuraman and that makes him special.
Through intimate conversations with Bhansali’s cinematographers, choreographers and technical crew, the author revisits those on screen moments that turned cinema immortal. Published by Penguin Random House India, this book is as beautiful as Bhansali's movies.
Film critics have glossed over Bhansali's aesthetics, his lyrical frames and haunting melodies and yet strangely nobody thought of writing a book solely on the beauty of his cinema except Prathyush Parsuraman and that makes him special.
Through intimate conversations with Bhansali’s cinematographers, choreographers and technical crew, the author revisits those on screen moments that turned cinema immortal. Published by Penguin Random House India, this book is as beautiful as Bhansali's movies.
December 7, 2024
I may be biased because my friend wrote this book but I really do appreciate how much passion is put into the work Prathyush loves and adores. I can feel it through the writing. How unabashedly he loves even when he’s confused by the choices Bhansali makes.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews