Madhur on real life!

doweshowbellyad=0; Madhur Bhandarkar (TOI photo) More picsFrom running a video cassette library to becoming one of India���s most successful filmmakers, Madhur Bhandarkar has come a long way.
He���s bagged the National Award thrice ��� in 2002, when his Chandni Bar was adjudged the best socially relevant film; in 2005, when Page Three was declared the best feature film; and now, he���s bagged the best director award for his Traffic Signal.BT caught up with this ever-positive and modest filmmaker on Tuesday soon after the National Awards were declared...
You���ve won another National Award. It's party time...
The hard work has paid off at last. Making Traffic Signal was tougher than my other films. It was a by-product of great teamwork. I shot it in the peak of summer in scorching heat. It definitely feels great, fulfiling and contented when your conviction pays off.
What was the most difficult part about making Traffic Signal?
The execution of the film. It was a realistic story of people from the streets. But the catch point was to do justice with two contrasting viewpoints from the inside and the outside of a car that waits on the traffic signal. One tiny mistake and the entire setup had to be pulled upside down for another minor retake.
You���ve made a mark in the world of realistic cinema. Was it the success of Chandni Bar that prompted this?
Chandni Bar was not only the turning point of my career but also my outlook as a filmmaker. Before that I was a flop director of a flop film called Trishakti. But with Chandni Bar began my journey of seven years where I got not only critical acclaim but also commercial success. I���d managed to make a rare concoction of films where the man on the streets could identify with my cinema. The niche I created with my kind of cinema created a genre in itself. With this genre I paved the way for three National Awards.
Aren���t you worried about ruffling feathers or upsetting people when you make movies that depict real life?
Cinema is a work of fiction. All I do is portray a reflection of real life on screen and my portrayal is less harsh than what really happens. My cinema should not be mistaken as a society in itself. The funny part is that whenever I have depicted a certain section of society, I���ve always been praised by the same strata.
There���s a lot of hype surrounding your next film Fashion, which means high expectations...
Buzz and speculations have always been there with each of my films and mainly so because of the uniqueness of the subjects. Definitely Fashion is a much talked about film. This movie is on a large scale, my biggest film in terms of budget.
After Fashion you are making Jail?
Yes. It depicts the dark unseen life of undertrials that breathes behind the iron bars of a prison. It is going to be a hard hitting film with Neil Nitin Mukesh. Well, I am also planning a musical and a comedy in the future.
You are yet to do movies with top male stars. Anybody in particular you���d like to work with?
I am looking forward to working with Mr. Bachchan, Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Hrithik Roshan and Akshay Kumar.
Your real life story, from running a video rental store to becoming a successful film director, is very inspiring for youngsters...
This has only been possible because of my faith, conviction, beliefs and the strength I always found in the Almighty. I have been a lone fighter and survivor in this industry with no mentoring figure to support me and guide me. My journey from Chandni Bar to Traffic Signal has been an illustrious one, but not without one disappointment ��� my father, whom I revered the most, was never part of the glory that he always dreamed for his son.