“I’m sure Heroine will go down as Aishwarya’s best work” – Madhur Bhandarkar

By Devansh Patel -

May 14, 2011 - 3:24 AM IST

It is not very often that you get to talk to the busiest people on the planet, more so if they are right now present at the Cannes Film Festival. But the person I am referring to is one of India's acclaimed directors, Madhur Bhandarkar, who has just unveiled the first look of his most ambitious film Heroine with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, the leading actress of the film along with the producer Ronnie Screwvala of UTV Motion Pictures. Needless to say that the French Riviera has just started to get hotter.

“I’m sure Heroine will go down as Aishwarya’s best work” – Madhur Bhandarkar

I called him a while back when he just walked out of a press conference saying, "What an unveiling we had of Heroine. It's an honour to be in Cannes at the Cannes Film Festival standing with the diva Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and Ronnie Screwvala. Aishwarya is very excited about this project and considers it one of her most challenging roles on Indian celluloid."

When asked further about when and where the shoot would commence, the director said, "In the days to come, my entire team will be gearing up for the final touches on each and every creative department as the shoot begins in June first week. Things are going to go mad in the days to come as Aishwarya has just agreed a few weeks ago to be a part of the film and Ronnie and I want the film to go on floors as soon as possible. But knowing Aishwarya's prowess in acting, I'm sure she'll nail this one and will go down as her best work so far."

Madhur has never been so ecstatic about his projects, though I can count Fashion as an exception. Bhandarkar is on top of the world as he quotes, "Heroine will be shot completely in India from start to finish. Yes, I can say that Fashion has been my most ambitious film to date but the day Heroine starts, it's going to be another battle, another set of challenges and I have to surpass my previous best. Having said that, Fashion and Heroine are two different films and two different settings. You cannot compare the two. I can very proudly say in the coming days that I have worked with two Miss Worlds. At the moment I can't express my joy."

But before Madhur could be cornered by Ronnie and Aishwarya, the time was right to ask him the most important question to which the director answered, "All my films are entertainers. They've won awards and acclaim. To say that I wish Heroine does the same will be right, and why not? Every director wants their film to get the critical acclaim and recognition. Double it up with a strong production house called UTV and an association with India's most famous face down the West; I wish my dream comes true. I feel it is my script that will finally speak for itself. Let's see."

The first look unveiling with all three biggies present in Cannes was a true delight but wouldn't Madhur want to return back with something bigger than just the unveiling? Bhandarkar answers, "I think it's the call that the authorities at the Cannes Film Festival will have to take whether or not Heroine will be showcased there. As of now, I am only concerned about the start of the shoot of Heroine."