My father slapped me when I told him that I wanted to make movies: Vidhu Vinod Chopra

For the past four decades, Vidhu Vinod Chopra has delivered record-breaking movies and while he has always been praised for his works, he has also faced criticism from a few. The talented filmmaker who has always brought forward a heavy dose of entertainment for his audience has had a recent release with his latest directorial Shikara. Based on the exodus of Kashmiri Hindu Pandits in the valley, the movie starring debutants Aadil Khan and Saadia, is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

Talking about how he dealt with the criticism that he faced for the authenticity of Shikara’s story and how he has commercialised the plot, Chopra shared, “I have also heard people say that I have diluted or misrepresented the plot for commercial gains. I find these claims very dubious since most of the people who are saying this on digital media have not seen the movie. They probably have other motives to spread negativity. And also these trolls don’t know the exact meaning of commercialisation.

Some of the film’s I’ve made have opened at 30 to 40 crore. I spent many years of my life making Shikara knowing fully well that it will never have an opening like that because I wanted to tell a story about my people and their endurance and courage. I also wanted to fulfil the promise I made to my mother before she died in exile in 2005. If I wanted to make a movie with only commercial gain in mind, then I would have made a Munna Bhai or 3 Idiot’s sequel. That is simple logic that most people will understand. The commercialisation accusation is baseless and I would urge all to see the movie and judge for themselves.”

Chopra went on to share that his journey from a small town lower-middle-class boy to a successful filmmaker has been deeply satisfying. Talking about his four-decade-long journey in Bollywood, he said, “It has been a dream come true. I came from a small mohalla in Kashmir with a dream to become a filmmaker. My father slapped me when I told him that I wanted to make movies, he felt that I will die of hunger in Bombay. My journey from a small town lower middle class boy to where I’ve reached has been deeply satisfying.”

After being a part of stellar movies like 3 Idiots, PK, Sanju, Shikara, Parinda, 1942: A Love Story and many more, we are eager to see what more the filmmaker has in store for the audience.