Hansal Mehta accepts criticism with humility, says he is proud of his last film Simran

Filmmaker Hansal Mehta’s film Simran failed to make an impact at the box office.

The failure of his last film Simran did hurt, but Hansal Mehta believes in moving on. The filmmaker has accepted both the good and bad reactions his film received. “All the love the film has received... I accept it with humility, and the criticism, I accept it with more humility. I’m proud of the film,” he says.

Hansal Mehta directed the web series Bose: Dead/Alive. (Amal KS/ HT Photo)

Starring Kangana Ranaut, the film released in September this year. Hansal moved on, and made a web series starring Rajkummar Rao. The man behind films such as Shahid (2013), CityLights (2014) and Aligarh (2015), has also written the screenplay for the film on former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, titled The Accidental Prime Minister.

A man with an opinion on issues relevant to the society, Hansal is active on social media. He openly extended his support towards director Sanjay Leela Bhansali amid the controversy around Bhansali’s film Padmavati. The film’s release has been indefinitely deferred, and its cast has received life-threatening warnings from Rajput Karni Sena.

Why is creativity facing resistance in India? Hansal believes it’s because there are “ignorant people, who are raising slogans” and becoming “self-appointed torch bearers” of culture. “They are doing so because they have nothing else to do and their ignorance sort of overrides their intelligence. Without watching the work (Padmavati) how could one just jump to a conclusion is something I can never understand,” adds the filmmaker.

And what are Hansal’s views on social media being a powerful tool for people to express their opinion? “Every form of media has its pros and cons. Social media is vibrant but also misguided. It is for us, who are on social media, to be selective about our choices,” he says.

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