Vidhu Vinod Chopra is regarded as one of India's most celebrated filmmakers. Vidhu donned various hats across multiple projects, such as director, writer, and producer. 3 Idiots, 12th Fail, PK, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S., and Khamosh are just a few of the films he worked on that continue to hold a special place in the hearts of fans to this day. However, the director's journey in the film industry wasn't always smooth sailing. Recently, Vidhu opened up about the dark period in his life following the release of his first full-length feature film, Sazaye Maut. Vidhu was dealing with such turbulent emotions at that time that he even contemplated suicide.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra recently appeared for a heart-wrenching interview with NDTV, during which he opened up about the dark phase of his life when he contemplated taking his own life. The director-producer revealed feeling utterly disillusioned by the lacklustre reception of Sazaye Maut. Given that the film was his first full-length feature, Vidhu found it difficult to come to terms with the dismal reviews of critics and audiences alike. Talking about the painful moment when he came exceedingly close to ending his life, Vidhu recounted:
"You know, there was a time when I wanted to kill myself. I was so disillusioned with life. I was standing in Lonavala on a highway, next to the trucks moving, and I could have taken a step and died. But it was my love for my family that held me back."
Vidhu elaborated on this turbulent phase of his life in his book, Unscripted. In it, he also discusses what happened after he realised that giving up his life was not an option, as he had a family to care for. Despite the setback, Vidhu decided to pour his energy into his next project, Khamosh, and his valiant efforts were rewarded. Khamosh, which was released in 1986, went on to become one of Vidhu's most renowned and celebrated works, thus marking a turning point in the director-producer's career.
Sazaye Maut was far from the only setback Vidhu Vinod Chopra faced. During the same interview with NDTV, Vidhu discussed another one of his films, Parinda, which is now regarded as a landmark achievement but turned out to be a box-office flop upon its first release. Following its failure, Vidhu took matters into his own hands and visited a theatre in Alankar to ask audiences what they didn't like about the film. He was accompanied by his then-assistants, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Rajkumar Santoshi. Vinod recounted the responses of the audience and said:
"Everybody said, 'Bakwas hai'. I still remember one guy saying, 'Mat dekhna, Jackie Shroff ki toh heroine bhi nahi hai'."
The theatre audience's responses left Sanjay and Rajkumar utterly shaken. In tears, they begged Vidhu to leave the country as Indian audiences didn't deserve him. Vidhu recalled:
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"These kids who assisted me had tears in their eyes. The became very emotional and they said, 'Sir, you leave this country, it doesn't deserve you'. Parinda is a cult film now, but it bombed. It ran for one week in Alankar."
Vidhu Vinod Chopra wasn't subjected to trials merely after entering the film industry. The director-producer was plagued with difficulties even before he ventured into directing, as his father strongly opposed his career choice. Earlier, during a session at the Indian Film Festival, Vidhu opened up about being slapped by his father, D.N. Chopra, when he told him about his dream of making films. His father further warned that he would die of starvation in Bombay and questioned how he would survive. Instead of being discouraged, Vidhu was determined to forge his route. He emerged as a top student at his university and was awarded a national scholarship by the government. This helped him continue a career in cinema studies.
What do you think about Vidhu Vinod Chopra's revelations?
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