Veteran filmmaker Priyadarshan opened about Aditya DharHis early struggles in the industry also weighed on the ‘propaganda’ controversy surrounding his Dhurandhar films.Speaking to Siddharth Kannan, Priyadarshan recalled that Dhar faced setbacks before discovering his tormentor. “Yes, he was very disappointed. But he never told me about it at first. He opened up later, when he started writing for me and working with me,” she said.
“He didn’t know what to do after being kicked out”
Sharing how Dhar finally found his way, Priyadarshan revealed, “One day, when we were sitting together in the evening, I asked him how he got into cinema. He told me that he got kicked out of the college team in Delhi, and after that, he didn’t know what to do.”He added that a turning point came when Dhar watched one of his films. “Then he said he’d seen my film Gardish, which inspired him to get into filmmaking.”
“Watching your student grow is the greatest joy”
The filmmaker also reflected on the time they worked together. “We worked together in London and Scotland, and it was very comfortable. It felt like watching someone grow up in front of you,” she said.Calling it an enriching experience, Priyadarshan added, “It’s like when your students or students grow in life, that’s the greatest joy you can have. I felt very proud to see what Aditya has achieved today.”
“There is no such thing as propaganda”
Responding to criticism of Dhar’s Dhurandhar franchise protagonist Ranveer SinghPriyadarshan rejected the “propaganda” tag. “There is no such thing as propaganda. You are simply presenting something to the audience,” he said.He emphasized that the reception of the audience is of the greatest importance. “When the whole country has accepted a film, why should some opinions matter?” Reiterating his stance, the director concluded, “Yes. If a film has been accepted by the majority of India, that itself proves its worth. Some opinions don’t matter, just ignore them.”
