‘Deeply honoured to represent Indian cinema’: Bhansali on Republic Day tableau

Filmmaker Sanjay Leela Bhansali, who collaborated with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on a special tableau for the Republic Day Parade, said he felt deeply honoured to represent Indian cinema and the wider creator community at the national event.

The tableau, themed “Bharat Katha: Shruti, Kriti, Drishti”, rolled down Kartavya Path during the Republic Day celebrations on Monday.

It highlighted the continuity between India’s ancient civilisational wisdom and contemporary creative innovation, illustrating how heritage and technology together shape the country’s cultural identity.

In a statement, Bhansali reportedly said the experience of participating in the parade was a moment of pride. “I felt deeply honoured to represent Indian cinema and the creator community at the Republic Day Parade under the theme Bharat Katha. Co-creating this tableau with the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting was a tribute to India’s timeless stories and the power of cinema to retell them,” he said.

The tableau opened with the cosmic resonance of Aum, symbolising the origin of sound, knowledge and creation. 

The first segment, Shruti, depicted India’s rich oral traditions, showing a guru imparting wisdom to disciples beneath a peepal tree, with flowing sound-wave motifs representing the spoken transmission of knowledge.

The second segment, Kriti, marked the shift from oral to written expression. It featured Lord Ganesha inscribing the Mahabharata, symbolising sacred authorship and the preservation of knowledge through texts.

The final segment, Drishti, showcased India’s modern media landscape. Visual elements such as vintage cameras, film reels, satellite symbols, newspapers and box-office imagery traced the evolution of cinema, broadcasting and print media in the country.

Bhansali is among the most acclaimed filmmakers in Indian cinema, known for his larger-than-life films such as Khamoshi, Devdas, Black, Bajirao Mastani and Padmaavat, as well as the OTT series Heeramandi.