My image worked against 'Bullett Raja': Tigmanshu Dhulia

New Delhi, Jan 3: Tigmanshu Dhulia's last release Saif Ali Khan-starrer 'Bullett Raja' failed to cast any spell at the box office and the director says his own image has worked against the film.

The 46-year-old filmmaker, who is best known for his films like 'Saheb Biwi Aur Gangster' and its sequel, 'Paan Singh Tomar', feels the audience expect him to make the same kind of films and hence did not like his experimentation with a commercial film like 'Bullett Raja'.

"Yes 'Bullett Raja' did not make much money but it was not a wash out. The problem is I have become the victim of my own image. People expect certain films from me. They expect films like 'Pan Singh', 'Saheb, Biwi', 'Haasil'. 'Bullet Raja' was not like those films and so people and critics were like 'what has he made?'," Tigmanshu told PTI.

"If I had not directed 'Bullett Raja' and any other filmmaker would have helmed it then people would not have had any problem with the film," he said. Besides Saif, 'Bullet Raja' also featured Sonakshi Sinha and Jimmy Shergill in leading roles. The film was set against the backdrop of Uttar Pradesh-based mafia while dealing with the political and industrial powers of the state.

Tigmanshu said he does not regret making the film as he did not want to get stuck in a rut of making the same kind of films and therefore went ahead with 'Bullett Raja'. "I am an artiste and I will make all types of films. I can't make just one type of film. I also wanted to try my hand in something different. 'Bullett Raja' was about the bonding of two friends, gangster tale set in UP and had all types of commercial element. I really wanted to do it," Tigmanshu said. 

Right from its inception, the film was riding on the name of Saif Ali Khan and his presence was expected to make the audience throng to theatres.

When asked if it was a wrong decision to cast Saif, the director said, "It is the question of what kind of budget the film is made. Had I made this film in 8 crores or 10 crores, probably I wouldn't have needed Saif. But the film needed that kind of budget as it had action and you needed money for that. "So it seemed like only a star could pull the audience to the theatres. But in the case of 'Bullett Raja', only my audience went to watch the film, not Saif's. So, the film failed in multiplexes," Tigmanshu said.

The director admits that the film's failure was a set back for him and he took some time to recover from the disappointment. "I was very disappointed. I was very worried for almost a week wondering what went wrong. But I immediately started writing another film. I had scripts but I wanted to try something new," Tigmanshu said.

The director is currently busy writing a script, which is an epic tale of friendship titled 'Bichhade Sabhi Bari Bari'. "It is a journey of four friends. It is a coming of age film about friendship and betrayal. The films starts from 1955 to 2014... it travels through time and is about whatever is happening in politics and how it affects their friendship," Tigmanshu said.