Anubhav Sinha on dealing with public criticism, flops: ‘They destroyed me in 2011; if I was a weaker man…’

Stating that he doesn’t think he ever received public criticism as such, Sinha said: “In fact, I have received a ridiculous amount of love from the media and public. Not many are aware that my career has died three times by now.”

“After Tum Bin, I had Aapko Pehle Bhi Kahin Dekha Hai and I was called one-film wonder and I died. Then I made Dus which was a hit and then I made Cash. I was called two-film wonder and I died. Then I made Ra.One, no one understood the film. Some felt it was good, some felt it was bad. I’m more interested in how long a film lives. Now the fate of Ra.One has changed and people are calling it a hit. They destroyed me in 2011. If I was a weak man I would have killed myself, so much flak for Ra.One. I was dead meat anyway,” he told Entertainment Times.

“More than me, people were gunning for Shah Rukh Khan. They wanted to bring him down and they did. Between Tum Bin, Dus, Ra.One, Mulk, Thappad, Anek, Article 15 and Bheed, I have great films that will live a long life, I can retire,” the filmmaker added.

Responding to a question on why Bheed did not do well at the box office, Sinha said that he hasn’t been able to understand what went wrong there. “I could do that with Anek. Not Bheed. Because with Anek, I knew a lot of people who did not get it. It was not comprehensible. But Bheed was really straightforward. Also, I got spoiled after I had three back-to-back commercial successes.”

When asked if he would ever go and make a Dus or Tum Bin again, Sinha responded: “I don’t know. Never say never.”

Referring to his equation with contemporaries like Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap and Hansal Mehta, Sinha said that they still inspire and make him feel jealous at the same time. “They are hugely talented people. I wish I had half the talent of Vishal and Anurag. I’m jealous of Vishal all the time. Anurag, recently, after I saw Kennedy.”