Madhur Bhandarkar is best known as a national award-winning filmmaker who makes rough, women-led films like Chandni Bar (2001), Page 3 (2005), Corporate (2006), Fashion (2008), and Heroine (2012). He has critically provided films that have been acclaimed throughout his career, some of which have been found to be a huge hit at the box office.
His 2001 film Chandniva, starring taboo in the role of Mumbai sex worker, was one of a great blend of critical and commercial success. But Madhur was busy sleeping at home when the film was released, instead of films visiting theaters, watching crowd reactions, and making the most of their first hits of their careers.
“I remember sleeping on the carpet of the 1bhk floor under the fan. At that time, Mahesh Bhat Saab called me around 2pm. We met two or three times before that. He asked me. I am sleepy and he abused me. So I said I’m sorry to him, but the firefighters ran as if they had issued an alarm,” Madhur said.
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He went to the Guyeti Galaxy and Star City Theatre in Mumbai. He admitted that no one knew what he looked like at the time, but the audience seemed happy. He then called and thanked Mahesh Bhat for giving him a wake-up call. “I needed that Pep story. He said it right. People are craving such a big hit. You don’t see it every day,” Madhur added. He also recalled how he slept after assuming the film was a hit.
“After Friday, I went to the Kandibari theater and stood outside. No one knew me at that point. But I wasn’t able to measure the response. Do they feel it bad? Were they very serious?
He then began to receive positive reactions from the surroundings of the city and the country. “Taboo was the first to call. She said, ‘Sir, Deko Jalwa Ho Gaya Apka (see you did something great). The film had a huge opening.’ Many distributors also called me out,” Madhur added. After the media also called and congratulated him, he began to gain confidence. There he slept in peace, and Mahesh Bhat called and gave him a check of reality.
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Madhur Bhandarkar’s final director was Babli Bouncer, the sports comedy starring Tamannaah Bhatia, released on Disney+ Hotstar in 2022.
