Vidhu Vinod Chopra reveals he almost killed himself after 1st film flopped: ‘I was standing on the Lonavala highway…’ | Bollywood

Filmmaker Vidhu Vinod Chopra recently opened up about a low point in his life in the 1980s, right after the release of his debut feature film, Sazaye Maut. Sharing that he felt disillusioned by the film’s reception, he almost ended his life on the Lonavala highway but decided not to after thinking of his family. (Also read: Vidhu Vinod Chopra slams industry’s inflated box office figures: ‘Marketing today is full of lies’)

Vidhu Vinod Chopra on ending his life

Chopra is currently promoting his new film, Zero Se Restart, the story of the making of his 2023 hit, 12th Fail. Speaking with NDTV during the promotions, the filmmaker revealed how he had to ‘restart’ his life from ‘zero’ back in the 80s. “Most don’t believe it, but many years back, I was supposed to kill myself. I was disillusioned. I was standing on the Lonavala highway, looking at the moving trucks. I was one step away from my death. But the love of my family, and my family held me back,” he said.

Chopra then added that the incident took place after the release of his film Sazaye Maut and when he was writing his next, Khamosh. Sazaye Maut, released in 1981, was the director’s first mainstream Hindi film. An adaptation of his FTII diploma film Murder at Monkey Hill, it starred Naseeruddin Shah. The film did not do well at the box office.

“People who know me now might be surprised that I even thought of such a thing, or went through this phase. But it is important to say it out loud that it is okay. You are not born this way. You fight your battles. Some you win, some you lose. The joy is not in the result but in the fighting,” the filmmaker said.

Vidhu Vinod Chopra’s career

Vidhu Vinod Chopra got his big break in 1989 with the critically acclaimed Parinda, which was followed by the commercially successful, 1942: A Love Story. Through the 90s and 2000s, he produced many blockbusters such as Munnabhai MBBS, 3 Idiots, PK, and Sanju. He returned to direction after 13 years with Shikara in 2020, and followed it with 12th Fail.