[ad_1]
Filmmaker Hansal Mehta spoke about the many ups and downs in his career, which pushed him into roles as diverse as a wedding videographer, food show creator, and Bollywood big-shot. In an interview, he recalled turning to television to make ends meet during a particularly difficult phase, but said that he was fired from the project by Balaji Telefilms chief Ekta Kapoor. Years later, Ekta launched his streaming career with the show Bose: Dead or Alive.
Chatting with Mid-day, Hansal said that filmmaker Sanjay Gupta ‘saved’ his life by offering him the opportunity to direct the film Woodstock Villa, a launch vehicle for Kirron Kher’s son Sikandar. He expressed gratitude to Sanjay for giving him ‘a job and a steady income’, because he had ‘reached a point where (he) could not survive’. He said, “I tried to do an Ekta Kapoor show, K Street Pali Hill. It was a daily soap; I went in to direct that. I was sacked in 15 days.”
Hansal said that contrary to popular belief about Ekta, she was very polite. “Ekta told me, ‘Sir, it’s too much like a film’. This was 2005. I was sacked very politely. Unlike what people have heard… Very politely she called me and said, ‘Sir, it’s too much like a film. Our shows don’t work because of this. We have a format, we follow that, and I don’t want you to do it. So please leave’.”
Hansal said that he then did a show for a different channel, a gangster drama in which ‘Dara Singh played Don Corleone’. Years later, however, it was Ekta who launched his career in the streaming industry with the AltBalaji show Bose: Dead or Alive. He said, “Funnily enough, she has to be credited for my entry in long-form. I was showrunnner on Bose: Dead or Alive. It was a prestige show, it had Rajkummar…” Hansal went on to gain further prominence with the blockbuster SonyLIV series Scam 1993: The Harshad Mehta Story, and Netflix’s Scoop. He is now directing a show about Mahatma Gandhi, and will return to direct the third season of Scam.
Click for more updates and latest Bollywood news along with Entertainment updates. Also get latest news and top headlines from India and around the world at The Indian Express.
[ad_2]
