Heeramandi director Sanjay Leela Bhansali is known for being a strict taskmaster on his sets.

The reportedly filmmaker stopped Aditi Rao Hydari from taking a lunch break before a critical scene.

The actor revealed that during the shoot of the Netflix series, Bhansali refrained her from eating.

Aditi said that before the scene, Bhansali told her that she needed to evoke a particular emotion.

The entire cast and crew on the set were given a lunch break, except for Aditi.

Aditi told Bollywood Hungama, “He said we were going to shoot this scene and gave everybody a lunch break but said, 'But, you will not eat. Is that okay?'.

She added, So, I didn’t eat, and it really helped me. It kept me on edge and not soft.”

Bhansali's debut series. Heeramandi, started streaming on Netflix on May 1.

The series focuses on the courtesans of Lahore and their lives in the red-light district of Heeramandi.

Photo credit: Instagram (aditiraohydari)