Ace Bollywood film producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s adaptation of Albert Roussel’s opera ‘Padmavati’ has received a standing ovation at its premiere on Friday at the highly esteemed Theatre du Chatelet.

“I wasn’t completely familiar with the opera but the films I had done before, the preciseness with which I had made them helped me immensely,” said Bhansali over phone from Paris.

“Sometimes being a perfectionist is a boon,” he added.

The first Indian to direct an opera in Paris would face plenty of problems such as a cast that could hardly know English. Even he was also forced to use a translator.

"Some could speak broken English and understood little and the rest did not know the language at all," he said. "I was so nervous initially that I wanted to run back to India."

The opera was attended by various famous persons in Paris

An eyewitness at the premiere said, “Some of Paris' most well-known figures from arts, culture and politics were present to see Sanjay's version of Padmavati. Among them was legendary French designer Jean-Paul Gaultier, who slipped in minutes before the performance with his lady friend and watched the performance.”

In fact, Bhansali could not recognize the designer. It was his sister Bela, who noticed the existence of Gaultier and whispered into Sanjay’s ear.

At the get-together held after the premiere, Sanjay’s mother who bonded with Gaultier and his lady friend, who was taken up with the disarming simplicity of Bhansali's mother.

The guest said, “Sanjay's mom took to Gaultier and his leading lady and even invited them to India on her son's behalf. Sanjay was too nervous and preoccupied to converse with Gaultier or anyone else at the premiere. His focus was on getting everything right. And when, it went well he simply sat back and relaxed for the first time in two months.”

The opera was decorated with different colour schemes, elephants ambled through the panoramic scenario, women in multi-colored ghagra cholis and
swirled and twirled over the stage as the Rajasthani brave woman Padmavati fought with valour for love, clan honour and pride.

Bhansali’s composition is supported by Indian perfectionists with outfits by style guru Rajesh Pratap Singh, stage dancing by Tanusree Shankar, lighting by Somak Mukherjee and sets by Omung Kumar Bhandula.

The approaching shows of the play are already booked in advance.