Sanjay Leela Bhansali the mainstay of 'Saawariya': Sonam

New Delhi, Oct 24 (UNI) It may be making news in film circles largely for being a launch vehicle for Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor, two star kids with impeccable "Bollywood" pedigrees and lineage, but for both the debutant actors of 'Saawariya' the mainstay of the film is its director Sanjay Leela Bhansali.

''For us, the 'USP' of 'Saawariya' is Mr Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who has over the years enthralled cinegoers with masterpices like 'Hum Dil De chuke Sanam', 'Devdas' and 'Black'. 'Saawariya' is a result of his vision. That he saw a potential in us and decided to cast us in his film is a matter of privilege for us,''Sonam and Ranbir said on a promotional visit to the city to promote their film.

Addressing a press conference in the Capital, as part of multicity promotional tour organized by the producers of the film, Sony Columbia Tristar, the two debutants said,'' also by ourselves, we cannot match a big star like Shah Rukh Khan. In this context, Mr Bhansali's draw in the industry and among audiences is a matter of solace for us.

In a way, a visit to this beautiful city gives us a unique opportunity to seek the support of movie lovers who have always supported Mr. Bhansali in all his endeavours.'' Speaking on the occasion, Sonam, who has in the past assisted Sanjay Leela Bhansali on 'Black', said while assisting him on 'Black' she had not imagined even in her wildest dreams that she would one day be the female lead of one of Mr Bhansali's film.

''When I went to Bhansali sir, I weighed 80 kilos. So imagine my surprise when he said one day that I would be the heroine of his film,''Sonam said. Ranbir said his main endeavour through 'Saawariya' would be to take forward the legacy of his late Great Grandfather Prithviraj Kapoor and late grandfather Raj Kapoor.

''The Kapoor "khandaan" is perhaps the only family in the world of cinema where four successive generations have been associated with the film industry and who have dedicated their lives successfully to entertaining people,''Ranbir said.

Asked whether, given the presence of accomplished actors and reigning superstars Salman and Rani in the film, they feared being overshadowed, Ranbir said,''I don't think so. All the characters have a distinct place in the film.'' The multicity tour of the two debutants, spanning across major Indian cities, kickstarted in Indore before reaching the Capital City.

Sources in the Sony Columbia Tristar feel the countrywide tour of Ranbir and Sonam will provide an excellent opportunity for the debutants to interact with audiences across the country.

The CEO of Sony Columbia Tristar Uday Singh said the countrywide tour provided an excellent opportunity for the company to reach out to audiences across the country.

''The people of Delhi have a deep emotional connection with Sanjay Leela Bhansali's films and his movies have always found support amongst the people here. This is a wonderful opportunity for us to reach out to audiences in this city and to present the new talent, Ranbir and Sonam, to filmgoers across Delhi,''Singh said.

Singh said "Saawariya" indicated Sony's recognition of the importance of the Indian market and its desire to team up with the film industry in India.

''It marks the dawn of a new and exciting chapter in the life of SPE Films India as it presents a wonderful opportunity to extend our horizons beyond motion picture distribution and interact with the enormous creativity that the Indian film industry has to offer,'' he said.

UNI