SHOCKING: Madhur Bhandarkar reveals how a producer INSULTED him in the 90s when he asked him to fund his film: “He told me, ‘Tumhare film ka message main 400 logon ko SMS kar dunga. I’d rather spend Rs. 400 to send your message to people than spend Rs. 4 crores to make your film’

By Fenil Seta -

September 23, 2022 - 4:30 PM IST

Madhur Bhandarkar has mostly made films with powerful female protagonists. However, his debut directorial Trishakti (1999) was instead about three men, as the title suggests. Yet, even a film like this had a woman-centric element. The entry song of Arshad Warsi shows him roaming with female dancers and they are stopped by eve teasers. Arshad walks toward them to teach them a lesson. But one female dancer stops him and she single-handedly bashes them!

SHOCKING: Madhur Bhandarkar reveals how a producer INSULTED him in the 90s when he asked him to fund his film: “He told me, ‘Tumhare film ka message main 400 logon ko SMS kar dunga. I’d rather spend Rs. 400 to send your message to people than spend Rs. 4 crores to make your film’

When this writer reminded him of it during an exclusive interview with Bollywood Hungama, Madhur Bhandarkar replied, “Woh tha aur woh hamesha rahega (meri filmon mein). Rangeela (1995), in which worked as an associate director, became a blockbuster and I wanted to venture out as a director. I approached a lot of producers. At that time, everyone was only interested in making commercial cinema. Multiplex ka M bhi nahi tha. I still went and narrated my scripts. The producers would reject it and would say ‘Yeh Shyam Benegal aur Govind Nihalani type ka subject hai’. They would ask me to come up with a commercial plot.”

Madhur continued, “I told one producer that I have written a message-oriented script. To which, he said, ‘Tumhare film ka message kya hai? Woh bata do. Main logon ko SMS kar dunga. Ek rupyaa lagta hai ek SMS bhejne ka. Main 400 log ko bhej dunga. I’d rather spend Rs. 400 to send your message to people rather than spending Rs. 4 crores to make your film with a message’! It was insulting though he was being practical.”

Madhur Bhandarkar then met a producer who showed trust in him. But there was a catch, “I met Mr Babu Latiwala. He was ready to produce my film. Again, he wanted me to make commercial cinema. By then, I was exhausted with rejections. I had no star who was willing to be cast. Neither my father was a producer nor my brother was an actor.”

Madhur Bhandarkar added, “Hence, when Mr Latiwala asked me for a commercial story, I narrated this idea I had in my mind about three guys who take on the underworld. It was a sketchy idea but the producer loved it. I went ahead as beggars can’t be choosers. A lot of people told me that ‘If you debut with intellectual cinema and if it fails, your career is finished’. Hence, I was advised to make a commercial film. The idea was that if my commercial film is a hit, then producers would be ready to bankroll my art film.”

The National Award-winning director stated, “In Trishakti, I was told to add every commercial element possible. So, there’s Altaf Raja’s qawwali, heroine’s bikini shot, action, chopper in the climax scene etc. Sadly, the film faced funding problems. It took 2 ½ years to be made. By then, the box office track record of my three actors – Arshad Warsi, Milind Gunaji and Sharad Kapoor – had gone downhill. Cinema had also changed a bit. I didn’t know what to do. I knew the film was looking stale. Yet, I hoped that the film should at least be released. I should not be the person jiski picture hi release nahin hui. That’s worse as no one would know ki maine kya banaya hai. If the film gets released, at least I can show my work and get a chance direct TV serials as a worst-case scenario.”

Some critics added to his agony. Madhur revealed, “This was also a time when some people remarked, ‘You should not have left Ramu’. Then, he was in a different league as Satya (1998) had been released and had become a cult classic.”

Trishakti did see a release in cinemas, on August 6, 1999. Madhur exulted, “Trishakti was finally released and it flopped. Hardly anyone even reviewed it! I was mentally prepared as I don’t live in a fool’s paradise. My professional obituary was written.”

Trishakti was made on a budget of Rs. 3.25 crores. How much was he paid to direct your debut directorial venture? To which Madhur Bhandarkar answered, “I was paid around Rs. 3-4 lakhs.”

Also Read: EXCLUSIVE: Madhur Bhandarkar talks about Babli Bouncer; SLAMS the idea of workshops; opens up on possible collaboration with Shah Rukh Khan