Mumbai, Jan 16; Bollywood film maker Mahesh Bhatt in an interview has said, he was the only director in the world to have made two flops with Shah Rukh Khan - Duplicate and Chahat, says a newspaper report.
Speaking about the handing over of charge of their 25-year-old banner to Mukesh Bhatt's son Vishesh, Mahesh Bhatt said, "Vishesh has the resolve, and will now engage with the real world more than what he was willing to do earlier.
"Having watched the company and its people from the wings, he has shown a willingness to make movies.
"He is essentially a writer and a director, and wants to make a foray as director.I think he will make a beginning by the end of this year."
About the 25-year-old journey of his banner, Mahesh Bhatt said, "The turning point was when I discovered that the world had changed and so had the lingua franca, and decided to hang my gloves as a director in the 90s, turning to film production instead.
"Around the same time, I decided not to continue making socially relevant films, the kind the world pretends to love but does not pay money to see.
"The other critical decision taken was to embrace the pattern of making films without stars.
"The rationale - both Mukesh and me never ever sat down and wished for a particular actor to be available to us.
"Our successes namely Arth or even Aashiqui for that matter didn't have any stars.
"Then again, I happen to be the only director in the world who has made two flops with Shah Rukh Khan - Duplicate and Chahat. So whether a hit or a miss, it meant that an actor never succeeds or fails.
"It is the filmmaker, the story, the filmmaker's vision that succeeds or fails."
Says Mahesh Bhatt: "Vishesh Films has constantly come under criticism for an overdose of sexual content. The purists pretended to scream 'what deterioration' but it wasn't deterioration; it was evolution.
"I'm still here. Where are they? There was no point in singing a Mehdi Hassan song when the audience wanted to hear a fast-paced, strong, back-beat Atif Aslam number. And so,we changed".
As regards sexual content, Mahesh Bhatt says : "I dare anybody to see Kalyug, a film we made with Kunal Khemu on pornography. There was no nudity at all.
"Neal n Nikki had more T & A in it. The so-called family film!"
What followed was a major departure from the Mahesh Bhatt of Arth,Saaransh,Aashiqui or Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin and a spate of films with a posse of budding new actors,the likes of Raaz,Murder,Kasoor and Gangster happened.
Says brother Mukesh Bhatt : "I can say with pride now, that we have given a boxoffice hit every single year of the decade, without any stars.
"It can't be a fluke for 12 years consistently.
"You have to have something in you. This company is not only known for making movies but also destinies.
"That is more elevating and satisfactory, where we carve out the space of actors,directors,singers,music composers,writers."
"Mahesh is the creative fountainhead of the banner. Boxing and filmmaking is the same. Before the referee starts counting you out -10,9,8,7 - you have got to get up and hit back and we've done that always. There's never been a year where we have been inactive."
"Almost after every major hit,came a series of failures. "
Right now,Vishesh Films is on a roll, what with Murder 2 having made an unimaginable Rs 80 crore worth of business in three weeks.
In 2012, the production house has its hands full with Blood Money, Jannat 2 and Raaz 3.
Says mahesh Bhatt , fists clenched, "We've burnt our bridges.We don't have room for failure. We have to succeed."
