After creating timeless melodies in films like ‘Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam’ and ‘Devdas’, composer Ismail Darbar and filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali reportedly experienced a serious fallout. The tension is said to have escalated after an article referred to Ismail as the “backbone” of Bhansali’s series Heeramandi: The Diamond Bazaar. The description allegedly upset Bhansali, and Ismail later claimed he was removed from the project despite dedicating nearly one and a half years to composing its music.In a recent conversation with Subhojit Ghosh on YouTube, Ismail reflected on his long, often turbulent association with Bhansali. He explained that disagreements were nothing new between them — creative clashes were common — but they had always found a way to collaborate, until the Heeramandi episode changed the dynamic.Recalling the Devdas phase, Ismail revealed that Bhansali had restricted him from giving interviews at the time. Yet, he acknowledged the director’s patience and support over the years. He said, “Bhansali didn’t allow anyone to take my interview during Devdas. However, I wouldn’t have spoken in front of people (about all of this) as had it not been for Sanjay Leela Bhansali and what he did for me… He tolerated me a lot. No matter how many bad things I say about him, but I feel the pain inside because if he would not have tolerated my tantrums at that time, I would not have come in front of the public.”Describing their creative process, Ismail admitted that arguments were frequent but rooted in passion. “We used to fight during the making of every song. I respect him a lot in this matter because he gave me and my family a lot of love. We had a good bond till Heeramandi, he called me from front to invite me for the show’s premier. He had told me that he didn’t call anyone else but me, but by that time my heart had already broken.” He later added, “If me and Sanjay would have done Heeramandi together, we would have created history.”He also revisited a powerful memory from Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, particularly the moment Bhansali first heard the iconic track “Tadap Tadap.” “He heard the song nine times when he first heard it. After hearing it for the 9th time, he turned to me and he was crying like a dog. It looked like somebody close to him had died. He admitted that it was this song that completed his film in his mind as he got the idea where to end the film and where to put the interval. After this, I thought at least now he will final the music, but then also, he didn’t do it.”Speaking candidly about their emotional bond, Ismail shared, “Me and Sanjay have always fought like cats and dogs. But we love each other. And we both respect each other’s work a lot. He will stand for me if I face a bad time in my career because he is a good human being. When my father had died, it was Sanjay who brought me this news at night, and he also came to Surat, my hometown. Seven years later, when my mother died, I didn’t even tell him about it, but he got to know and attended the funeral. He sat near my parents grave for so long. Even I or any of my relatives didn’t sit there for so long. He is a different person. I am sad that I lost a good friend because of this work.”Ismail further remembered a conversation following the box office failure of Saawariya. “When Saawariya had flopped, he told me that ‘Ismail, we will not fight from now’. And the film met the same fate that I had told him to 3 years ago.”Accusing Bhansali of going back on his word, Ismail stated, “He betrayed me, not one, but twice. He committed to working with me, and then didn’t do so. I had worked on Heeramandi for 1.5 years, and he didn’t tell me before replacing me.”When asked whether a future collaboration was possible, Ismail responded on a philosophical note: “This will not happen if I, you or Sanjay wish about it. This will happen only if God will want us to work together. And this is why I’m saying sorry to Sanjay. And I am apologising to the audience for my remarks.”
