Fashion (2008) is a film that won appreciation from critics and the audience alike, for the manner in which it unearthed the dark reality of the fashion world. Moreover, two of the lead actors — Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Kangana Ranaut — won National Film Awards for their performances. But, director Madhur Bhandarkar reveals people around him were apprehensive.

As the film clocks 15 years of release, Bhandarkar tells us, “After the film released, there was a lot of appreciation that came my way. But people from the fashion industry got upset with me because they felt I had exposed the reality. But all my stories are derived from real-life [incidents]… That’s what Madhur Bhandarkar films are about. The model taking drugs, having an affair with a married man... These [incidents] were all true.”

The scale of the film, too, made people apprehensive. “Before Fashion, most of my films, be it Chandni Bar (2001) to Traffic Signal (2007), were small-budget films. And in comparison, Fashion was a bigger project in terms of its scale. There were 11-12 sets for fashion shows. That’s why people were doubting this move of mine; many even conveyed that I wasn’t doing the right thing,” the India Lockdown (2022) director says, adding that he had clarity regarding the film and hence, went ahead with it.

Despite the subject being intense, the filmmaker recalls how he’d try and keep things as lively as possible on set. “I was always cracking jokes, mimicking people and having fun. Priyanka would sometimes request me to stop because she had to give a very emotional shot and she wanted to get the expressions right,” he says and goes on to recall a particular scene: “When she was about to shoot the part where her character cries while looking in the mirror, she shot at midnight in an apartment. Nobody would believe me, but she was laughing out loud just before the scene. But, she performed it really well.”

One can’t help but mention Ranaut, who was another highlight of the film. “I still can’t forget her walk. It was iconic,” he continues, “I asked her to focus on the strength of her character rather than the length as hers was a very complex, layered but beautiful role. And it was a game-changer for her as she won a National Award!”