‘Sakal Ban’ from ‘Heeramandi’ Marks The Launch of Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Label

With the arrival of the Netflix period drama Heeramandi in April, filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali will make his debut as a series director on OTT. With the music of Heeramandi, however, he’s also launching his new record label Bhansali Music.

The show’s lead single “Sakal Ban” – interpreting the lyrics of poet Amir Khusrou – is composed by Bhansali and sung by Raja Hasan. The Qawwali-informed song is the first of more glimpses into Heeramandi, which stars the likes of Manisha Koirala, Sonakshi Sinha, Aditi Rao Hydari, Richa Chadha and more.

Through the label, the director and composer – who released his album Sukoon in 2022 –  aims to collaborate with talented musicians and artists. A press release states that Bhansali’s goal is “to produce captivating compositions for his films and memorable independent albums.”

Bhansali added in his statement, “Music brings me great joy and peace. It’s an integral part of my being. I am now launching my own music label Bhansali Music. I wish the audience to experience the same joy and spiritual connect that I feel when I listen to or create music.”

Best known for his grandiose storytelling in Bollywood with films like Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Devdas, Bajirao Mastani and more recently, Gangubai Kathiawadi, Bhansali has also often taken on music composing duties for his projects. Songs like “Meri Jaan” from Gangubai Kathiawadi and “Ghoomar” from Padmavaat have often placed the composer in Bhansali as an artist who builds on traditional Indian music.

Bhansali Music isn’t the first instance of a filmmaker launching his own label, however. In 2020, Vishal Bhardwaj (also a composer) with singer (and his wife) Rekha Bhardwaj launched VB Music and it continues to be a vehicle for music outside and within the film and OTT space.