Bet you didn’t know that music director Ismail Darbar knew about Sanjay Leela Bhansali testing positive for Covid-19 even before the news broke out in the media. Talking to ETimes this afternoon, Darbar said, “Actually, I had casually called Sanjay to chat up with him when he himself told me that he had been infected with Covid-19. I could not believe it. I had met him just a few days ago.”

Reveals Darbar, “Two to three days prior to that call, I was on the set of Bhansali’s upcoming film ‘Gangubai Kathiawadi‘ at Film City (Goregaon) in Mumbai. Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt were on the sets, not Ranbir Kapoor (who has also tested positive). I remember Bhansali advising me to wear a mask since there was quite a bit of a crowd. He was taking all the precautions.”

Buzz is, Ismail Durbar, who hadn’t been composing for Bhansali’s films after their differences in ‘Devdas’, is all set to compose the tunes of Bhansali’s first OTT project ‘Heera Mandi’. It has been 19 years since the release of Shah Rukh Khan-Aishwarya Rai-Madhuri Dixit ‘Devdas’ and it seems that the two have put their past behind them.

Darbar, who recently encountered death in the family when his son Zaan’s father-in-law Zafar Ahmed Khan passed away, adds, “Despite the hot weather on that day, Bhansali’s passion for work was as high as usual. Rain or sunshine, Bhansali works very hard. He has quarantined himself at home. I pray that he gets well soon.”

Zaan married Gauahar Khan on December 25, 2020 Talking about Gauahar’s father, Ismail said that he was ailing for some time. “Zaan and Gauahar used to be at the hospital often during the nights, where he remained admitted for six days before breathing his last. Gauahar’s sister arrived Nigar Khan arrived just in time to see her father and all his other children who reside abroad had also landed in Mumbai. May his soul rest in peace.”