Vikram Bhatt: I don’t think John Abraham and Bipasha Basu credit me for their careers

Director Vikram Bhatt says that John Abraham and Bipasha Basu needed films to prove their talent, and he needed talented actors like them.

Director Vikram Bhatt, who is shooting for his horror-thriller film 1921, has made many careers in Bollywood. He gave a boost to the film career of actors such as Bipasha Basu and John Abraham. Asked if they credit him for it, he says, “I don’t think they should be grateful. I am still in touch with Bipasha (who I worked with in the hit Raaz, 2002). I had signed John first for Aetbaar (2004), but it got stuck and instead Jism (2003) became his debut film. I don’t think they credit me for their careers, but I didn’t do it as a favour to them in the first place.”

Vikram Bhatt says he did no favours to John Abraham and Bipasha Basu by casting them. (Yogen Shah)

“I needed talented actors for my films, and I saw potential in them. They, in turn, needed a platform. I didn’t do them a favour by casting them,” adds the 48-year old, whose personal life has always made headlines, especially his long affair with actor Sushmita Sen. Asked if he feels comfortable talking about his personal life now, he says, “There’s nothing left in my personal life to talk about! It will be a ‘been-there-done-it’ discussion, I will only be repeating myself.”

Though they share the same surname, not many know that Vikram and director-producer Mahesh Bhatt aren’t blood relatives. But being a close associate of Mahesh for many years now, he is all praises for his daughters. “Alia is my boss’s daughter. I have seen her since she was a baby. But even Shaheen (Alia’s sister) is a talented writer. Everybody has created their niche and their own space. We must not let the amount of fame decide. Alia is, of course, extremely talented, but there are other talented family members too,” says Vikram.