'Breaks your backbone': Anubhav Sinha's confession about flops
Acclaimed filmmaker Anubhav Sinha's recent releases, despite garnering positive reviews, have failed to ignite the box office. His 2022 film Anek, featuring Ayushmann Khurrana and Andrea Kevichusa, received mixed reviews but was a box office failure. The following year, Bheed, starring Bhumi Pednekar and Rajkummar Rao, had a similar fate. In a new interview, Sinha admitted to being in a difficult phase but has since returned to directing with Netflix's IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack.
Sinha discusses emotional impact of box office failure
In a candid interview with Indian Express, Sinha opened up about the emotional toll of creating critically acclaimed films that fail to connect with audiences. He confessed, "It almost discourages you from making more movies. It breaks your heart, it breaks your backbone. You lose confidence." "You almost get encouraged not to make a film again, but then something else convinces you enough to do it again and then you look back and say 'no it's not a big deal."
Sinha's perspective on success and failure in filmmaking
Sinha stated, "You make 10 films, and if you end up making five films that are hits then you are doing rather fine." "As long as you are not ashamed of your film....as long as people who participated with you in that film are not ashamed you take it in your stride." "When you read or write history you turn a page and you have gone past a decade in the history of filmmaking so don't take yourself that seriously."
Sinha reflects on Bollywood's current state, praises Dinesh Vijan
Sinha also shared his perspective on the current state of Bollywood, which has seen few hits this year apart from Munjya and Stree 2. He humorously noted that Dinesh Vijan seems to be the only person who knows how to navigate this phase. Sinha remained optimistic about the industry's future, stating, "Every industry goes through these phases. It's not a big deal. They will not stop watching films, we will not stop making films."
Sinha identifies biggest challenge for filmmakers
When asked about the biggest challenge a filmmaker faces, Sinha pointed to "selling a story." He cited the success of Vijan's horror films Munjya and Stree 2, noting the difficulty in selling a film that rejects popular themes like the supernatural. He said, "The most challenging thing is the strange mix of being convinced and conning someone. You have to convince people to invest money in your project." Sinha is currently preparing for an undisclosed big-budget Bollywood film.
More about Sinha's Netflix series 'IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack'
Sinha's recent venture into the OTT space with Netflix's IC 814: The Kandahar Hijack has found favor with audiences. The series, based on real events, spans six episodes and features a star-studded cast including Vijay Varma, Naseeruddin Shah, Pankaj Kapur, Dia Mirza, and Arvind Swamy. This success marks a positive turn for Sinha after his recent box office disappointments.
