Ranbir Kapoor didn’t have the most positive experience working as an assistant to director Sanjay Leela Bhansali, before he went on to make his acting debut for him with the film Saawariya. But he said that the experienced shaped him into a better performer. In an interview, Bhansali recalled spotting Ranbir’s acting talent, and predicting that he will go on to do great things. Ranbir was originally supposed to debut with a Bhansali film titled Balika Vadhu, which would’ve starred his now-wife Alia Bhatt.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter India, Bhansali recalled being moved to tears while watching Ranbir’s performance in the climax of Saawariya. He said, “The climax of Saawariya is one of my most favourite pieces of mine… What an actor can do, in seven minutes of complete silence. The way he performed, in one shot… I would just sit there and cry. Because I realised that this is an actor. Whether he’s a good person, bad person (doesn’t matter). He’s a great actor. It shouldn’t matter to you whether I’m a good human being or a bad human being…”