Deepak Tijori accuses Mohit Suri of betraying him, stealing his film idea; says he wanted to warn his wife Udita Goswami: ‘Kis aadmi ke saath affair…’

Deepak Tijori shared his experience of facing betrayals when he began his second career in direction, and accused director Mohit Suri of stabbing him in the back.

By: Entertainment Desk

New Delhi | Updated: November 26, 2023 01:11 PM IST

3 min read

Deepak Tijori claimed that Zeher film was his idea. (Photo: Deepak, Mohit/Instagram)

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Actor-turned-director Deepak Tijori has accused filmmaker Mohit Suri of betraying him when Tijori was making a transition to film direction. He alleged that Suri stole an idea that he had presented to producer Mahesh Bhatt, and to this day hasn’t admitted that he went behind his back. The film in question was Suri’s directorial debut, Zeher, and Tijori has claimed that it was initially his idea to do the film.

In an interview with Bollywood Thikana, Tijori said, “I wanted to work with Mahesh Bhatt. I went to narrate the film to him, while he was on the treadmill. He heard me for like 15-20 minutes and then he said, “I did not enjoy it.’ Forget it.” Tijori said that the idea was basically an unofficial remake of the Denzel Washington-starrer Out of Time.

The actor then remembered meeting Suri outside Bhatt’s room and asking him to make Bhatt see sense. However, four days later, Anurag Basu contacted Tijori and revealed that Bhatt liked Out of Time, and that he’d decided to launch Suri with that film.

Reacting to this, Tijori said, “Mereko itna gussa aya na, matlab ghar ke log. I mean, this is my second career and this is my life. Mere second career ka pehla dhoka aur itna bada dhoka. Aur uske baad se leke aaj tak woh mere saamne aake nahi bola yeh baat ki usne yeh dhoka kiya hai mere saath. (I felt so much anger, because I thought of the Bhatts as family. I mean, this is my second career, and this is my life. The first betrayal of my second career, and such a big betrayal. And since then, until today, he has never come in front of me and admitted that he betrayed me in this way).”

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He continued, “Zeher, uski pehli film. Woh mera idea tha. Lekin ek baar woh phone kardeta na yaar. Mereko bol deta na maine kiya hai yeh. Kya farak padta hai. I was working with Udita in Fox, I wanted to tell her ‘kiss aadmi ke saath affair hai tera.’ (Zeher, his first film. That was my idea. But if he had just called once, you know. If he had just told me what he did. What difference would it have made? I was working with Udita (Goswami) in Fox, I wanted to tell her). But eventually they got married and they are happy. I am happy for them. But I just feel that.”

Suri is married to Udita Goswami. Zeher: A Love Story is a 2005 thriller produced by Mahesh Bhatt. The film stars Emraan Hashmi, Shamita Shetty, and Udita Goswami and is based on the 2003 American film Out of Time.

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