17 June,2026 12:33 PM IST | Mumbai | Aakruti Bagla
Vikram Bhatt (Pic/Google Images)
Vikram Bhatt's Haunted 3D Echoes Of The Past has earned over Rs 10 crores at the box office. Mimoh Chakraborty and Chetna Pande's film stood the test of time in front on several Bollywood biggies. In an exclusive chat with mid-day, Vikram Bhatt reflects on this success, his friendships in the industry, tumultuous jail term and much more.
The film released alongside biggies like Imtiaz Ali's Main Vaapas Aaunga, Obsession, Manoj Bajpayee-starrer Governor and Kangana Ranaut's Bharat Bhhagya Viddhaata.
"I'm happy that I've been given the permission to make more films by God. I am grateful that I live to fight another day. I hope this film sustains its momentum and that audiences remain engaged with it. I've learnt not to take success for granted. I've made a hit today, but that doesn't mean I won't make a flop tomorrow," said Vikram.
Asked whether it was a conscious decision to release the film during a crowded period at the box office, Vikram Bhatt said, "This was not a risk for me; it was a compulsion. I felt we could not come up against Cocktail 2. After that, there was Welcome to the Jungle, and then another big release. A small film like ours keeps getting pushed from one Friday to the next like a football. We were helpless."
Speaking about his biggest learning in life, Vikram Bhatt said, "Whatever you do, you will eventually be forgotten. At the end of it all, we become just a picture on the wall. I've stopped chasing greatness and instead focus on doing my work with honesty."
The filmmaker has worried with actors like Aamir Khan, Bobby Deol and Pooja Bhatt to outsiders like Avika Gor and Chetna Pande. Speaking about working with stars and outsiders, Vikram Bhatt said, "If I get the opportunity to make a film with a star, why wouldn't I do it? A star-led film gets a better opening, and its chances of success are naturally higher. All those factors make a difference."
He added, "At the same time, I am a storyteller, and I need to keep telling stories. I'm not that young anymore, and I have only so many years left. I'm not going to spend them waiting outside someone's make-up van. If someone wants to work with me, I would be more than happy. But if not, I still have to move forward and make a life."
When asked whether he had ever approached friends like Aamir Khan or Bobby Deol to work in his films, Vikram Bhatt said, "I don't ask them to do my films because I don't want to embarrass them. In a friendship, the moment you ask someone to be a part of your project, you put them in a difficult position. So if they want to work with me, they can simply call me."
Reflecting on how the concept of stardom has evolved over the years, the director of Raaz, Vikram Bhatt, said, "I think Shahid Kapoor, Aftab Shivdasani and Hrithik Roshan were among the last generation of stars I worked with."
Over the years, Vikram Bhatt has been candid about his personal life, including his relationships with Sushmita Sen and Ameesha Patel, as well as his battle with depression. When asked about the scrutiny that has accompanied such openness, he said, "That has always been an ongoing problem. But even then, I refuse to live a life where I am not open about who I am and what I am doing."
He continued, "I refuse to live in the closet. I refuse to be the kind of person who does everything behind closed doors and then portrays himself as squeaky clean. I am what I am. Like me or lump me, it doesn't matter."
Reflecting on the difficult period when he was in jail and the challenges surrounding the release of Haunted, Vikram Bhatt said, "I am not religious in the ritualistic sense, but I have immense faith in my God. I remember telling Him, âWhen everything else fails, give me a miracle.' And He did. My sister-in-law, my brother-in-law, and my daughter, who was pregnant at the time and had an FIR against her, were running from pillar to post. Despite everything, she single-handedly handled the post-production of Haunted and fought relentlessly to protect my name and ensure the film was completed."
Asked about the future of the Raaz franchise, Vikram Bhatt said with a laugh, "Raaz and I are over. We've broken up."
On the possibility of reuniting with Mahesh Bhatt for a film, he added, "I don't think it crosses either his mind or mine. We are happy just being close to each other outside of filmmaking."
When asked whether he feels proud of Mahesh Bhatt's children, Alia Bhatt and Pooja Bhatt, and their achievements, Vikram said, "Of course, I'm proud. In fact, I'm proud of everyone who is doing well in this industry. It's a tough place to survive, and anyone who succeeds here has my full respect."
