Movie-making is like playing Russian roulette: Mahesh Bhatt

Film-maker says Aashiqui 2 will outshine the original film Aashiqui.

KOLKATA: Director and producer Mahesh Bhatt compares movie-making to playing Russian roulette with three bullets, where there are more chances of getting shot than surviving.

“Movie-making is like playing the game of Russian roulette with three bullets in it so the chances of you blowing your brains out are more than surviving,” Bhatt said at the media conference of the upcoming film Aashiqui 2.

Bhatt, 64, who directed the 1990 superhit Aashiqui, is also the producer of Aashiqui 2.

In Russian roulette, a player places one bullet in a revolver, spins the cylinder and pulls the trigger after placing the muzzle against his head; the more the number of bullets, the higher the chances of the player shooting himself.

Bhatt, maker of acclaimed movies like Arth, Janam, Saaransh and Naam, was aware of the advantages and pitfalls of making sequels.

“When you make a sequel of a famous franchise, the chances of you getting a box office response are far stronger. But also with that, comes the fear that inevitably there will be a huge section of people who may be ardent fans of the first franchise, and they will say it’s good but not so good because they have nostalgia attached to it,” he said.

Bhatt claimed Aashiqui 2 would outshine its first avatar both in its narrative and performance of the cast.

“The expectations of the market are huge, but I am certain as I have been saying repeatedly on various platforms that this Aashiqui is head and shoulders above the Aashiqui that I directed, in terms of its narrative and in terms of its performance,” he added.

Aashiqui 2 is scheduled to release on April 26.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 20^th, 2013.                    

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