Filmmaker Hansal Mehta joined forces with Kangana Ranaut for the heist drama Simran (2017) at a time when the actor was enjoying immense success following the release of films such as Queen and Tanu Weds Manu Returns, and Mehta himself was riding a wave of acclaim. However, the production process was not without its challenges, leading to tensions between Mehta and Ranaut, and also between the filmmaker and his longtime creative partner, Apurva Asrani.
In a recent chat with Siddharth Kannan, Mehta revealed that though they haven’t met in many years, he wishes her nothing but the best. “We both wanted to make different films: she wanted to make one kind of film and I had taken to her a different script that I wanted to make. But eventually, I gave in to what the star wanted to make,” he said.
“I believe, if a movie is good, the credit should go to everyone involved. But if you didn’t like the movie, the fault is only mine (the director’s). Nothing happened between us, per se. But that experience (of making the movie) was not very fulfilling. The mahaul (environment) on the set was a bit anxious because our approaches were different and we wanted to make different films,” he said, clarifying that no arguments took place on set.
“We had a cordial relationship and really got along. She’s very lovely and a phenomenal actor. She’s one of the best we have and it was a privilege to be watching her at work. However, because of the incidents that happened in the run-up to the movie’s release, a lot of relationships were shattered. I regret that. I had a fallout with Apurva (writer Apurva Asrani). We were longtime collaborators; yet, the fight between us became so ugly and public. Around that time, I felt choked and I couldn’t handle it properly. I had a lot of financial pressure on me.”
“Nevertheless, I still hold the same warmth toward both Kangana and Apurva. If I were to see her (Kangana) today, I would greet her with a hug. We may have disagreements, but I won’t disrespect an artiste,” he concluded.
After earning significant praise for his back-to-back streaming series Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story and Scoop, Mehta is now gearing up for the release of his much-anticipated crime thriller The Buckingham Murders, starring Kareena Kapoor Khan in the lead role.
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