The ‘Saiyaara’ director said the industry, including his own family members, lost faith in him after a few of his films flopped at the box office. He was ousted from ‘Aashiqui 3’.
Filmmaker Mohit Suri, who recently made a comeback after a string of flops with his biggest hit ‘Saiyaara’, said he was preparing for the third instalment of ‘Aashiqui’ and was ousted from it due to its poor performance at the time. He said he has no ill will towards anyone, not even his family, and was mostly disappointed with himself for allowing the pressure of critics to get to him. ‘Saiyaara’ has grossed over Rs 500 crore worldwide and re-established Mohit, who started out with his uncle Mahesh Bhatt’s ‘Special Films’.
In an interview with Shubhankar Mishra on YouTube, Mohit revealed that he was writing “Aashiqui 3” with the intention of directing it, but the studio didn’t want to wait for him to improve the script. He chose a different route and chose Anurag Basu. Mohit said that his decision was probably due to his less success at that time; he had directed films like “Malang” and “Ek Villain Returns”. He said that during that time, he was simply cracking under pressure and listening to the advice of others. He said, “When you are depressed, never listen to anyone, because they will push you further down.”
He further added, “When you have been working for 20 years and your film flops, the fear is that your best days are over. And to be honest, people started saying that.” When asked about Aashiqui 3, Mohit said, “They decided to make the film without me, that’s true. It was not just because (Ek Villain 2 flopped) but because they didn’t want to wait for me. But, 100% (people judge you on the basis of hits and flops). And it was my own family that was not willing to wait. And I don’t blame them, because this is a business. But, most of all, I wasn’t trying to prove them wrong, I was trying to prove myself wrong.”
Mohit said that with Ek Villain 2 he found himself doing some important things, like making a sequel, remixing songs, casting two male and two female stars. But it all backfired on him. “In the greed to reach that box office success and touch the Rs 16 crore opening of Ek Villain, I wanted to feel that excitement again. I was playing safe, and making the film for the wrong reasons.”
Mohit said that after the success of Saiyaara, he has no regrets about losing Aashiqui 3 or Awarapan 2. He said, “How can I make Aashiqui without Aditya and Shraddha? And remember, the film started with Rs 3 crore, which was not a big amount. But with time it became a cult film. Now people want to make another film with that brand name. But now it is more of a project than a film, and I don’t know if I fit in it.” He confirmed that he was writing the third Aashiqui film, but the producers did not want to wait for him. “They were in a hurry, but I said I won’t announce the film without writing the script. They said they will approach another director, I said no problem. So they decided to approach Anurag, whom I really respect.”
Mohit said he is not sure if he will still keep the title “Aashiqui”. Anurag Basu is directing a romantic drama with Kartik Aaryan and Srileela. The film is untitled as of now. When asked about comparisons with the film “Saiyaara”, he told Mid-Day, “Mohit and I are very close. I am happy with the success of his film. The only similarity in our films is that the lead character is a rockstar and the story is based on his journey. We are not rewriting or shooting it. I already knew that the girl in “Saiyaara” has Alzheimer’s disease. So, why would I write the same [plot] in my film?” Several reports suggest that the success of “Saiyaara” has shaken the industry, with more established stars wondering how new artistes can deliver such a huge hit.
