Ekta Kapoor and Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s regard for each other has shifted in ways that befit a soap opera. From being the ‘biggest Bhansali fan in the universe’, TV queen Ekta is now his biggest rival. Bhansali, who has long dreamed of making a film on ‘Bajirao Mastani’, is spending sleepless nights over Ekta’s television show on the same love story. He has been trying to persuade the television channel in question to delay, or better still, trash the series completely. Ekta, who has secretly been working on the epic tale for the past three months, is planning to launch it by early next year. This has rattled Bhansali, who wants to be the first one to tell the story. A source said, “He is trying to sabotage Ekta’s plans. But then everything is fair in love and war. And these two are currently locked in a big business battle. People in the film and television circles are talking about it. Some of them are caught in the crossfire.” The source added, “Bajirao Mastani is very close to Bhansali’s heart. He keeps reviving it every few years. He had started working on it before ‘Saawariya’ and ‘Guzaarish’. He would love it if he can put just that on floors very soon.” Bhansali has refused to give up on his magnum opus, which was originally to star Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Salman Khan. Based on the story of the renowned Maratha general Peshwa Bajirao and his half-Muslim second wife Mastani, the film hit a roadblock when Salman and Aishwarya parted ways.
