I DON'T HAVE A FORMULA FOR HIT OR FLOP: RAKEYSH OMPRAKASH MEHRA

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who is known for directing movies such as Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) and Rang De Basanti (2006), says directors make movies based on “their thoughts and beliefs”.

However, do they get tempted to make certain kinds of films that start trending at box office at a given point of time? “It depends from person to person. We can’t generalise things as different people have different beliefs. I make something only when it appeals to me, and goes with my beliefs. But as moviemaking is also a commercial business, we try to balance things out,” says Mehra. Ask him if it’s difficult to maintain that balance between creative and commercial aspects of a project, and he says, “No, that is our job and that is what we are supposed to do. It should come to us naturally. So, I don’t find it difficult; I enjoy every moment. I don’t try to get bogged down by the external pressures and the noise around me. There will always be clutter and theories, but you need to do what you need to.” So does he and Aamir Khan plan to work again in the future? “I can’t speak for everyone. I would like to make movies I strongly feel about. I don’t have a formula for a hit. I am not in a number game. I’ve had great successes and even greater failures, both have not affected me so much and have not changed my thinking. Momentarily, you enjoy success and then you have a broken heart with a failure. You just have to keep believing in what you are doing,” says the film-maker.

I don’t try to get bogged down by the external pressures and the noise around me. RAKEYSH OMPRAKASH MEHRA, FILMMAKER