Vikram Bhatt on being directed by Krishna Bhatt: My daughter is quite the control freak

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt, who has made his acting debut in a web series, titled Untouchables, says that every director is a closet actor, and he was pretty comfortable in front of the camera.

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has created a niche for himself in the horror and thriller genres. And now, diversifying his skill set, he has tried his hand at acting, that too in a full-fledged role in a web series titled Untouchables, directed by his daughter, Krishna Bhatt.

Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has acted in web series titled Untouchables that has been directed by his daughter Krishna Bhatt. (Yogen Shah)

One does wonder what prompted him to take up the role. “It was my daughter who thought that I suited the role well,” he reveals.

So, what does he think of her directing skills? “I never thought [she will be], but my daughter is quite the control freak. She knows exactly what she wants. Her sense of drama is very different than mine,” he recalls, before confessing that he did have a few “secret fights” with Krishna.

Although there were no apprehensions of working under his daughter’s direction, Bhatt confesses that he had several “secret fights” with his daughter. “The first one or two [days] were a little odd, and we did have some secret fights where she told me that either I listen to her or I feel free to direct it on my own. That kind of chastised and reprimanded me. Then on, I was on my best behaviour. Also, [filmmaker] Mahesh Bhatt was there on set [He is producing the series]. He is very close to me and Krishna, so he said to me, ‘you get out of the set. You are not directing anymore. She is doing it and if you don’t trust her, don’t give it to her’. And I was like, ‘my god, she’s got everyone on her side’,” quips Bhatt, adding, “Then secretly, I asked the editor to send me some edits because I wanted to see how it was going, and it was fabulous. And then I was relieved. It was a proud moment for me.”

However, being on the other side of the camera wasn’t odd for Bhatt. “I’ve done a lot of compering for TV, so being in front of the camera was not intimidating. I must say that I did enjoy letting lose instead of controlling. Acting is all about surrender, and direction is all about control,” he explains.

The filmmaker adds that he’s come to a stage in life where he’s just having fun. “I’ve been a writer, producer, director for the longest time, and acting is just something that I am doing by the by. It’s not my bread and butter. I am enjoying it,” he says.

Bhatt adds, “Every director actually is a closet actor and I would always think — having had so many years of experience — there are a lot of things that you learn from other actors, and imbibe a lot of art and craft from others. And when it turned out to be full-fledged role [in the web series], I found myself pretty comfortable.”

Interact with Monika Rawal Kukreja at Twitter/@monikarawal