When Twinkle Khanna’s mockery of Mela upset director Dharmesh Darshan: ‘It’s an extremely successful film’

Mela director Dharmesh Darshan talked about how he was shocked by Twinkle Khanna's dismissive attitude towards the film years after its release.

It was after Mela's failure that Twinkle Khanna decided to get married to Akshay Kumar.

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When Twinkle Khanna’s mockery of Mela upset director Dharmesh Darshan: ‘It’s an extremely successful film’

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Twinkle Khanna’s one and only appearance on Karan Johar’s chat show Koffee with Karan with husband, actor Akshay Kumar, had her discussing that she wouldn’t have said yes to Akshay’s marriage proposal if her film Mela had worked on the box office. The Dharmesh Darshan film, which also starred Aamir Khan, was a damp squib at the did box office but as per the director, that’s not the whole truth.

In an earlier interview with Bollywood Hungama, the director revealed that he didn’t understand Twinkle’s dismissive attitude towards the film. He spoke about how Twinkle dissed the film on Koffee with Karan and said, “I am happy that Aamir has stood by it. But recently, I have seen there is some kind of mocking about it (on Koffee with Karan).” He added that Twinkle was “good in Mela” and he did not understand her criticism. “Twinkle is good in Mela. If you see all her performances, she’s nice in Mela. But then I don’t know how seriously I should take Twinkle. She called herself also a terrible actress,” he said.

The Raja Hindustani director said that he kept meeting Twinkle for many years after Mela as he was working with Akshay on Dhadkan and Bewafaa but in all those years, Twinkle never mentioned her displeasure towards the film. “I kept meeting Twinkle after Mela for five years because I was working so much with Akshay Kumar. She never told me all these things. But now suddenly, in a show… I find it very odd that you are making fun of a contemporary director. How will it look if I am making fun of a contemporary? I find it very odd,” he added.

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Dharmesh added that the film was not a flop and it was a “myth” that was perpetuated. He said, “In the heartland, which means MP, Rajasthan, Bihar, Bengal, UP, Delhi, Punjab, that is India, there, Mela is an extremely successful film. Unfortunately, the myth got perpetuated and for some reason, the actors also continued that myth.” He added, “I stand by Mela as much as I stand by Lootere, Raja Hindustani, Dhadkan and Bewafa and Aap Ki Khatir. It’s mine.”

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