Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Says, “I Went Deep Into Alcoholism For Six Months” After Delhi 6 Failed At The Box Office ( Photo Credit – IMDb )
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Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is known for his innovative storytelling, thought-provoking narratives, and visually stunning filmmaking style. But did you know that he had a troubling phase after the release of his deeply personal 2009 film Delhi-6? Scroll down to know more.
In a recent interview, the filmmaker revealed how he found himself buried in a “black hole”, unable to cope with the failure of the movie. He began slipping into alcoholism as well. Starring Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor, the drama also featured Waheeda Rehman, Rishi Kapoor, Aditi Rao Hydari, Divya Dutta, and Atul Kulkarni, among others. The film opened to poor reviews and, despite a good start, tanked at the box office.
As reported by The Indian Express, in the latest episode of Rahman Music Sheets, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra said, “After the initial weekend, where it did record business, from Monday onwards, it just tanked, and there was this huge outcry against the film. There was a heartbreak, I went deep into alcoholism for almost six months or so. I just wanted to sleep and not get up. There was a spasm, a gap, which I fell into. It was like a black hole. Then one morning, I woke up and realised that I got to do something about it, that I can’t just get into a Devdas mode.”
The filmmaker said he called up his cinematographer Binodh Pradhan and told him that some shooting is still left for Delhi 6. “We shot for three days. There was a different beginning and ending, we put it together, and that’s the film we sent out to Europe, Venice Film Festival took it on. It kind of completed that incompleteness in me, it kind of healed me, also. It got some kind of full stop out there, but the story continues.”
When asked if he wanted to make the modified version available on OTT, the director said, “Are they,” possibly indicating that the audience was prepared to accept it. Mehra asserts that he has no control over the movie’s release and that the “universe needs to conspire” in order for it to occur.
“It is also a commercial exercise. But most certainly, one of these days, in the near future, I would love to share it,” he added. Despite Delhi-6’s failure at the box office, the film is now getting more accolades, and some people think it is more relevant now than ever.
The film’s soulful, top-charting music by AR Rahman also lives on in memory. After Delhi-6, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra wrote the biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, starring Farhan Akhtar, which was a commercial hit. The life of Olympian Milkha Singh served as the basis for the movie.
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