Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s publicist has issued an official clarification dismissing reports of his hospitalisation as false and misleading.
In a statement, the publicist said, “Reports about SLB being hospitalised are completely false and baseless. There is no truth to them. We request everyone to refrain from carrying such stories as they have no verified source.”
The clarification comes soon after Bhansali celebrated a working birthday on the sets of his upcoming film Love & War, starring Alia Bhatt, Ranbir Kapoor and Vicky Kaushal. Fans and members of the film industry flooded social media with birthday wishes for the ace director, producer and music composer.
Alia Bhatt, who previously collaborated with Bhansali in Gangubai Kathiawadi, also extended her warm wishes to the filmmaker.
Meanwhile, actress Manisha Koirala shared an emotional birthday note, calling Bhansali a “genius” and praising his dedication to cinema and artistic excellence.
Taking to Instagram, Manisha highlighted Bhansali’s intensity, discipline and poetic storytelling, describing the experience of working in his cinematic world as both challenging and privileged.
She wrote, “To call you a genius would be easy, but what truly defines you is your devotion — to cinema, to beauty, to music, to emotion, and to the relentless pursuit of excellence. The intensity, the discipline, the madness and the poetry become part of the world you create.”
She further added that Bhansali does not merely direct scenes but “sculpts feelings” and composes stories like symphonies, noting that beneath the grandeur of his cinema lies a rare emotional vulnerability.
Manisha first collaborated with Bhansali in his 1996 musical drama Khamoshi: The Musical, which also starred Salman Khan, Nana Patekar and Seema Biswas. The film revolved around Annie, the daughter of hearing- and speech-impaired parents, who finds love and music through her bond with Raj.
With his team firmly dismissing the rumours, Bhansali continues to remain focused on work while receiving heartfelt tributes from colleagues and admirers alike.
