Mahesh Bhatt says Mohit Suri is bright, but he doesn’t see an original voice in ‘Saiyaara’; lauds Anupam Kher for ‘Tanvi The Great’: ‘I’m awestruck by his courage’ | Hindi Movie News
‘Saiyaara’ directed by Mohit Suri, starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda released on Friday, July 18. It clashed with Anupam Kher’s directorial, ‘Tanvi The Great’ at the box office. Interestingly, both Suri and Kher are Mahesh Bhatt’s protégés. Kher made his debut with ‘Saaransh’ directed by Bhatt. In a recent interview, the ‘Arth’ director spoke about both of them as directors and largely lauded Kher to have the courage to make a film like ‘Tanvi The Great’. “There’s another young filmmaker, who happens to be my nephew, Mohit Suri. He’s made a film called Saiyaara, He made Aashiqui 2 (2013) for me. He’s a bright, young boy. He has his own style, and he’s coming into his own,” Bhatt shared on The Himanshu Mehta Show. However, Bhatt still sees a lack of originality in Hindi cinema. He added, “But I don’t see an original voice in the landscape today. The burden of an instant box office hit, this box office albatross is weighing down everybody. It makes people take plots and stories which titillate and cater to the senses.” He pointed to a broader societal issue—technology-driven detachment—as part of the problem. “The dopamine (on smartphones) has been numbing your senses. Because you want to escape the reality of the world. Our filmmakers and singers of bygone days would throw you into yourself. Now, content is used as a way to escape yourself. Anything that takes you away from yourself is popcorn, like candy floss. I don’t see filmmakers with great depth anymore,” he observed.
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On the other hand, he lauded Anupam Kher and said, “It’s a film which roots for the most vulnerable, an autistic child. And he’s put in all his own money,” Bhatt said, calling Tanvi The Great “entertainment for the soul.” He acknowledged his potential emotional bias and said, “I’m awestruck by his courage. I’m so proud that what I ripped up in him, which was there in him, 41 years ago in Saaransh, is now coming into full bloom, and on his own.” ‘Saiyaara’ has crossed Rs 250 crore now at the domestic box office. Anupam Kher also had congratulated the entire team despite the clash with his own film and he also congratulated himself and actress Shubhangi Dutta for ‘Tanvi The Great’.
