In a resurfaced anecdote, Salman Khan humorously remarked that Sanjay Leela Bhansali treated debutants Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor like "assistants" on the sets of Saawariya. This occurred despite their family backgrounds as children of Rishi Kapoor and Anil Kapoor, respectively.
Saawariya, released on November 9, 2007, marked the Bollywood debuts of Ranbir Kapoor and Sonam Kapoor. The film is a musical romance directed and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali, drawing inspiration from Fyodor Dostoevsky's short story White Nights. Saawariya was also the final film appearance for veteran actresses Zohra Sehgal and Begum Para.
Prior to their debut, both Ranbir and Sonam served as assistant directors to Bhansali on his film Black (2005). Bhansali noted that while he recognized their potential as stars from the beginning, they were keen to train under him and understand his filmmaking process. He believed that Black provided them with valuable experience, allowing them to learn his preferences, working style, and temperament. Ranbir himself has said that he became a fan of Mr. Bhansali after watching Devdas.
Ranbir Kapoor humorously recounted his experiences, stating that Bhansali was a "hard taskmaster". He shared an anecdote about being made to kneel on set and even feeling "tortured" to the point of almost quitting the film after about ten months. He felt that Bhansali pushed him too far emotionally, as the director knew him well enough to "poke" at his sensitive side.
During a Saawariya press conference, Ranbir, visibly nervous, began to thank Bhansali when Salman Khan interjected, joking that Bhansali had "whacked us throughout the whole film," attempting to lighten the mood. Rani Mukerji, who was also present, laughed at the comment, and Ranbir then continued to express his gratitude to the director for honoring his family.
Sonam Kapoor also shared her experience of preparing for the film, recalling how Bhansali promised to cast her as a heroine after Black if she lost weight. She laughingly recounted being 86 kilos when Bhansali said, "Sona bachcha, you're my heroine". Bhansali admitted he would have cast her regardless of her weight.
Saawariya faced criticism for its story, screenplay, and pacing, despite praise for its music, production design, and performances. The film was released alongside Om Shanti Om, a major blockbuster starring Shah Rukh Khan, and ultimately underperformed at the box office. At the 53rd Filmfare Awards, Ranbir Kapoor won Best Male Debut, and Shaan won Best Male Playback Singer for the song "Jab Se Tere Naina".
