Rishabh Suri (HINDUSTAN TIMES; July 27, 2020)

The one thing filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar has stayed away from in the film industry in a career spanning 25 years, is being part of a group or camp. He’s always been solo, and has a reason, rather a shocking experience behind it. He says groupism is a “reality”, and it’s there more than nepotism.

“My first film, Trishakti (1999) flopped, and I got a ringside view of how people desert you. They feel ‘Film flopped, so yeh manhoos hai’. It could be anyone — an actor or director — the tone and texture of their personality changes. This industry is very cruel,” admits the 51-year-old.

“The minute Trishakti bombed, people who used to take my calls disappeared. It was difficult for me to get a foothold again. An obituary was written for my work the day my film flopped,” recounts the director, who went on to direct critically-acclaimed films such as Page 3 (2005) and Fashion (2008).

It was after two years since his debut that he got his breakthrough with his second film, Chandni Bar (2001). But the gap in between, he reveals was quite “humiliating”.

“I remember going to parties, and nobody would talk to me. People didn’t take my calls. Nobody sent me invitations. But I’m a fighter,” concludes Bhandarkar.