Filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar’s Page 3, which is considered to be one of the most hard-hitting and path-breaking cinemas of Bollywood, completed 20 years of release recently. In an exclusive interview with Firstpost, versatile and impeccable director Madhur Bhandarkar spoke about challenges he faced while making the Konkona Sensharma starrer and praised Ranbir Kapoor’s Animal and Allu Arjun’s Pushpa 2.
Edited excerpts from the interview:
Despite not being an out-and-out commercial cinema, your films manage to hit the right chord among the audience and also emerge as commercial success. So, do you take any box office pressure while executing these projects?
You know what? My films are middle-of-the-road cinema. I’ll tell you very honestly. There’s no format of making a successful cinema. And people who cater to box office success also put big stars, item songs, and commercial ingredients, that also sometimes don’t work in the box office.
So there is no format. So, what works at the box office, you don’t know. Sometimes, out of the box and my movies might work. See, I myself have been a film buff since my childhood. I’ve seen the craziest amount of cinema. So I’m a person who has been watching movie theatres since childhood. So, basically, I feel commercial, very commercial person. And when I watch and I enjoy.
But for me, the cinema is very different. When I watch a cinema for Satyajit Ray or Govind Nihalani or Shyam Benegal sir, I watch in that parameter. When I watch films of Shubhash Ghai or Prakash Mehra or Manmohan Desai or the stalwart filmmakers. I watch in that zone. I wanted lavishness. I wanted bigness. I want good song.
Because I’m a die-hard music lover and I’ll enjoy songs. I like all kinds of songs. And for me, media has always said Madhur you make middle-of-the-road cinema. You neither make very commercial neither make very arty also. So put the right ingredients in the film. I know enjoy the process. I like to have that realism to it.
But, yeah, anything is risk-taking. And I believe it from Chandni Bar to India Lockdown, my last venture on the OTT. I have always done this kind of cinema. I believe in it, which I want to make, want to be hard-hitting, how to show that kind of aspect of it. I really enjoyed it. I’m not a person, who sticks to the commercial cinema. You never know what works at the box office. Any filmmaker who says he knows how to make a hit cinema is a liar.
He’s fooling the people if he says that. I know how to make a good cinema or a super hit cinema. Nobody knows. What works at the box office nobody can tell.
Sometimes it’s just the other way. Sometimes you have good star cast, good songs, everything in the film, and still it’s a box of a disaster. And sometimes you see there’s nobody in the film and suddenly the film is hit, basically Page 3 was that example for it.
Today marks a special day the 20th anniversary of the film #Page3. I can’t help but feel a wave of nostalgia and gratitude. This film truly connected with people from all walks of life, and it warms my heart to see how it still resonates.
When we set out to create #Page3, I… pic.twitter.com/q29cth1O1b
— Madhur Bhandarkar (@imbhandarkar) January 21, 2025
Everybody was a newcomer right from Konkona Sensharma and I didn’t have a big cast for the film. But still I made it the kind of way I wanted to make. There were actors who refused to do the film also. There were some big actors who refused to do the film. And some people asked for money. Some people said dates are not working. Some people didn’t understand the script. They said we don’t know the script what it is all about and how they would be connected to the life of a journalist. A lot of people have issues with the film. What is the film all about?
How you made your actors understand the story and script of Page 3?
I was having a word with Konkona 2-3 days back only. When I was narrating to her, she also didn’t understand the concept of Page 3. She said what is page 3? So I made her understand that basically, you work in the paper where you attend parties. And I was giving a brief about the journalist life, how a journalist basically wants to work.
She has friends. One roommate, one wants to become actor but is basically into air hostess and all this blah blah blah. I was telling her. If you see in Page 3, the protagonist, she reacts to situations. So, it was very difficult for me to convince some actresses.
Whenever some actresses, like, big actors said no to me. So, I understand they didn’t find you what was so great about her journalist life or what she’s doing. You know, she’s not killing people or she’s not taking revenge. She’s basically a very passive character in the film. And, she’s basically being pushed by the bosses. She’s pushed by the authorities. Her love interest also turned out to be a disastrous relationship. So everything she’s losing, if you see. So but one thing about Konkona was that she had seen Chandni Bar and Satta.
So, 20 minutes after the narration of the film, she said, “Sir, Let’s cut the chase and let’s do the film. I know you are a good filmmaker. You’ll make a good film, and let’s do the film. I know you are a sensible filmmaker. Whenever we start the shooting now, that time you keep telling me back and forth what happened to this character. I’ll do the film.” So I was very happy with the kind of conviction she had. She believed in it. People sometimes do say that I need a script. I want to go through it. I want to go to some sub-text. And I’ve seen so many actresses or actors who read scripts also. Their all the movies of flop. So, I don’t know what what they read. So that’s why it’s very difficult because I feel filmmaking is a very organic business. Obviously, for Konkona, I know she’s a journalist in my film. I would not tell her in the middle of the film that now you have become a gangster in the film.
That would be wrong. You got a point? That would be wrong. You told me as a business studio, a journalist, how I become a gangster now. So that would be wrong.
That is completely changing the dynamics of the film. Do you see? So I just felt it. She was right. Atul Kulkarni had worked with me in Chandni Bar and Satta, was very forthcoming. He said we are definitely doing this Madhur. I want to be part of this movie.
I said it’s not a big role, but I said, I want you to play this important character. He said, okay. Done. I called up Sandhya Mridul and we chatted and I just felt that she was the right character for this role.
I met Tara Sharma for the role. I called up Boman and he was just started. I remember Munnabhai was a big hit that time. And I told him I said you have to do this. And he said, yeah Madhur definitely, I would love to do it. I have seen your movies and I’ve seen your work. So in moment he was in. So, that’s how the project started making, and we did’t had a great budget, very honestly. But we had great content. I’m telling you 50% of the film was shot on the sets. Like, most of the actors didn’t know what the hell was going on on the set. Like, every time there’s a party party party, 50% or 70% of the film is shot in the party. So they were all, I mean, the what the hell is going on this thing. Sometimes I’m saying this, sometimes I’m saying that. But as a filmmaker, I’m telling you, I had a whole road map in my mind. I know how the character will unfold.
I know how there will be changes into it. So I see that clarity. It is like sometimes I always say a film like Animal or Pushpa recently. It’s very difficult to make understand the actor. It’s a director’s vision. That’s why they say that filmmaking is a director’s medium. So it’s when directors think how he will unfold it. Nobody will understand knowing a story if this will work. Nobody! So it’s very difficult. For me, also, it’s very difficult to tell a story to anybody. I used to tell this a track. This is the track. This is the way it is. This is the way it will end. That’s all. Now how it will be connected that’s in my mind.
When all my teams saw the film for the first time, I remember that was a small premiere before releasing the film. They were shocked to see the film. My god. Because I’m a very chilled-out person on the set. Like, I keep joking, I keep mimicking people on the mic. I keep my one-liners keep going here and there. So people have this they keep laughing all the time, and trust me, all the actresses will watch for it Madhur’s humour is amazing. From Tabu to Sai Tamhankar everybody will say that. So they were thinking about what he was doing by making us laugh and joking when we were doing a serious scene. But this is the way I get my performance. This is the way I extract my performance. I work between action and cut.
I know exactly how it is. So I really enjoyed the whole process. The film was made on the editing table obviously. Even the editor asking me Sir, during the editing, every time there’s a party, there’s a party. So where is the story? So I said, the story will be there, but it came finally, then we gave a good shape, and we started. And, the driver’s part was put later in the film because I wanted it. I had in my mind from day 1, but I said I didn’t have a space. But it turned out to be the highlight of the film. So, I know that drivers were absolutely amazing in the film, and people have loved it. I’m telling you today also Page 3 is 70% from real world. It was derived. It was inspired. 30% was fiction.
Did you have any kind of apprehensions because you are showing the dark of the world, which you are also part of as it may impact your relationship with the fraternity?
People did get upset with me. And people all the time blame me only. The bar got shut. They said you made Chandni Bar that’s why the bar got shut.
So when I made Satta, the whole sting operation. I remember the whole sting started at that time. Then I made Page 3, then a lot of socialite people, and Bollywood people got upset with me. When I made Fashion, the fashion industry got very upset with me. They said everybody’s been shown taking drugs and all this and that and all. After Traffic Signal, the people stop giving money to beggars on the street thinking it is a big scam. So there are a lot of people who keep blaming me all the time.
When I made Heroine, a lot of people industry people got upset because a lot of people thought I took a lot of characters from the real world. And basically, I took all the characters from the real world. There are a lot of parallel draws to it. A lot of actors loved it. A lot of actors said you portrayed us in this film.
When I made Indu Sarkaar, the opposition party was after saying that I’m trying to demean the whole emergency thing that time. It escalated so much that I had to took security from the government of Maharashtra for almost 2 months. Now I’m making Wife of Bollywood. I don’t know what will the repercussions of it.
On balancing while making realistic cinemas like Chandni Bar, Satta, Fashion, Page 3 and commercial movies like Aan, Dil Toh Baccha Hai Ji and Babli Bouncer
I’ll tell you very honestly. See, I make film and I make the way I want it. I am very honestly, let me be put it like that forethought. I don’t belong to any camp in the film industry. I don’t belong to any gang or country, whatever you say, adjectives you use. I don’t belong to any one of them. I make the film the way I want. And I’m an independent filmmaker.
I make the way the film I want to make. So I’m not here to think it what if people will feel. People do people do get upset with me. People do get rattled with me. People do negative story against me. I know that people will get upset now since I’m making Wives of Bollywood. I know a lot of film people called me already. Then why you were touching this subject is very sensitive. It’s very tense. But I want to show the trial and tribulations of a Bollywood wife exactly what they go through. What are the dynamics between the husband and wife? What are the dynamics between the power? It’s a beautiful subject and I think people will really get connected. I know people will get offended. But for me, my audience is important. I’ve been working on this for the last 4 years. And I was very passionate to make this movie. And finally, I’ve written some 10 to 11 drafts for this film. And finally, I think I’ve reached that goal. I felt that this is a film which I want to make.
I remember when Corporate got released, so many big entrepreneurs of the country had called me. And they said, Madhur what a film brilliant film you have made. They said it felt as if you kept the camera in the corporate office and shot the film, it was so real. So this compliment was humongous and IIM Ahmedabad did a case study on my movie Corporate. This is one of the biggest institutions.
So, I think as a cinema lover, people want to see reality. People want to see what exactly happens. And Wives of Bollywood will definitely be a theatrical release because the audience has been missing the movies in the theatre films because of the pandemic. I think this is a movie which I want to play in theatres.
On making maximum women-centric films
I don’t mind people calling women-centric filmmaker also. Because I feel like in our country, in our society, there are lots of issues and lots of problems where women can be shown. Like, people do ask me, why not a male journalist? Why not a male model? Why why not a film called Hero? Why heroine? These things people keep calling me. And trust me I am not inspired by anyone. It’s very involved in me. It’s just involved in which Chandni Bar was started and that trigger point just took me away from it. And I never stopped it. I know for a fact if I make a male-oriented film, then my budget will be different. When you talk about female-centric movie budgets, there’s a disparity in it. When you make a female-centric film, you get half the budget. Sometimes the producers say that the subject is good, so please take an actor instead of an actress as the lead protagonist. For example, If I change the lead character from female to male, the producer will make his budget from Rs 20 crore to Rs 60 crore and tell me to make a big movie with good action sequences.
On Hindi filmmakers getting the term that Bollywood makes films only for Bandra and Juhu or Churchgate to Bandra people
I partially agree with it. I partially agree with you because when I watched
Pushpa 2, I saw the film thrice. A lot of people got raised and called it cringe. A lot of people took me from the film industry and asked what I liked so much in the movie that I watched it thrice. I loved
Animal. I watched it on Friday first-day first-show and I told everybody it’s a blockbuster. And people were they have shown anything in the movie, he is killing people. There is no law and order and other 50 things. But when you see a film that director has seen a world. You see the world. You connect to that world or not that’s a different thing but if a director has given you a new world you enjoy it.
Sometimes you see Marvel World. In real life you won’t see Marvel’s Superman fighting on the streets, right? The same goes for Rajinikanth sir’s Robot because there’s a world to it.
When I saw Pushpa 1 also, I said it’s a blockbuster and will work wonders at the box office. I am a very hardcore film buff. I enjoy clapping and hooting in the cinema halls. I might not make a film like that but I’d like to see the audience. That is you cannot impose your likes or dislikes on another person or the audience at large. If that would be half the people in this Bollywood, let me be honest, are delusional. They don’t understand the mathematics and the dynamic.
If that would have been the case, then Pushpa wouldn’t have done Rs 800 crore business (dubbed Hindi version). Try to understand that. Pushpa wouldn’t have done more than 850 crore business, you cannot undermine the audiences. Who you are making films for? Audiences! You should understand the basic thing that the audience is the baap. Audience wants to see the cinema. They are the people because the box office depends on them and that’s why you’ll get money, you’ll get another film.
I always say, that when one film runs, it is not only the producer benefits but from top to bottom, even is benefits, even the spot boy. Because he’s associated with the hit cinema. I feel people should look at a commercial film. You may not like it and you may not like to make also, but that doesn’t mean you will keep on announcing I didn’t like it. But it’s a box office hit. People are going through it. Why you want to undermine the audience? Why you want to underestimate the audience? People are watching the movie 3-4 times with their own money. These people should understand that. There’s a reality check that has to be done. I’m telling you from time and again. There’s no doctrine, there is no formula for hit cinema. What works, we never know. You think something else, the audience will react in something else today.
So think about it that way. When Page 3 was released, I didn’t have a budget. There wasn’t a single poster on the road. Can you imagine? I didn’t have a budget for hoarding also. Two and a half crore movie. There was nobody in the film. There were only a few ads going on the television from satellite otherwise, nothing. And at that time, those days, 20 years back, there was no digital marketing or paps culture. So, people have to think in that manner, and I think the film industry should go for more real subjects. You know the problem is what happened. You want to see a South cinema, which is already dubbed on YouTube and OTT platforms and people have millions of views over there. And, again, you give to the actor this is a DVD, watch this movie, and this is the way I’m making it. So now what happens, the actors also feel, okay, this movie was a hit in the South. So half the battle he feels is won because a large audience in the South already accepted the film. So it will work there also. But if you see a lot of films which were being hit in the south had not worked in Bollywood. It’s been disastrous. So they have to think about it. If you see in villages, I travel a lot. People like drivers and peons watch movies on phones. So they are watching dubs film also. Pushpa 2 is a dub film. People are watching. They gave Rs 850 crores in business in the Hindi dubbed version.
Yeah. It’s phenomenal. Pushpa 2 record will take another one decade to break it. I doubt anybody will come closer to it also. So I feel filmmakers should go for more real subjects. The issue is they don’t want to dig into the problem, but they don’t want to research on it. Like, for 4 years, I’ve been working on Wives of Bollywood. 4 years, it took me. I wrote a script tore it, wrote the script, tore it. Wrote and tore. More changes, more changes and more.
They don’t have patience. The problem is that they want something which is ready. They just want to take the rights, make a film and finish it. Because, if you tell an actor about a new subject, he has no reference to it. How will you imagine himself? But if you told him this is a Spanish film or a Korean film or is this a Telugu film. He sees the movie, then he is related to it. 50 per cent of the character, he’ll understand. If you tell him a very fresh story, I mean hats off to Ranbir Kapoor who really surrendered to the vision of Sandeep Reddy Vanga. It was a very difficult subject, the kind of concept it is. I mean to say and he surrendered too. Otherwise, the actor would have 1,000 questions to it. But the trust has to be in the filmmaker. Making 3 hours 20 minutes long film is a Himalayan task force. I’m telling you that. It’s not easy.
And there was no reference to it. So I feel, Salaam hai Ranbir Kapoor ko (salute to Ranbir Kapoor) for doing this kind of subject and which should be one of the best career roles of him.
Making movies in Bollywood that celebrate heroism like Pushpa 2 or KGF 2
I’ll tell you heroism is always there in our films. It’s not like heroism is not there. Like Dharmendra to Mithun Chakraborty to Amit ji (Amitabh Bachchan), and Shatrughan Sinha, we have some great actors who had great dialogue delivery. Raj Kumar was one of the actors. I remember, when he used to the screen, people used to keep waiting for his dialogues. Films like Bulandi and Waqt are classic examples of that.
It was always phenomenal when you had Raj Kumar coming on the screen and it was like crazy. So, it was not like that heroism was not there. Filmmakers should travel, I think. So there should be a lot of travelling. They should understand the pulse of the masses. It is very necessary for making a big cinema. When they make a film like Pushpa 2, they’re unapologetic. I mean to say, there are a lot of people who have issue of logic. I said if the filmmaker has created a world, you look in that world. I won’t find logic into it. When I’m watching a film of a filmmaker, which I feel gives logic, then there’s a question I continue to ask about eventually saying it doesn’t have logic.