Fashion fraternity need not fear 'Fashion'

New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) Madhur Bhandarkar has exposed the darker side of many a profession through his films, but the acclaimed director says the fashion fraternity need not fret over the release of his "Fashion" as it is essentially a model's emotional journey through the industry.

"The fashion fraternity need not be afraid of my film. They have doubts over what I have shown in the film about their industry. But I'm sure they won't be disappointed and their fears will be gone once they watch the movie," Bhandarkar told IANS in an interview.

The director is known for realistically portraying socially relevant issues in hard hitting movies like "Chandni Bar", "Satta", "Page 3" and "Corporate". He has dealt with subjects like the life of bar dancers, page three journalism, politics and the corporate world in these films.

" 'Fashion' is not a satirical or critical take on the fashion fraternity. It is a personal and absolutely emotional journey told from a model's perspective. I am not making any statement on the fashion industry at all through the film; neither does it deal with their internal politics," Bhandarkar said.

"Fashion" is releasing Oct 29 and stars Priyanka Chopra, Kangana Ranaut and Arbaaz Khan. Model Mugdha Godse makes her big screen debut with the film, which also has Arjan Bajwa and many members of the fashion industry.

Bhandarkar, who recently won his third National Award for "Traffic Signal", stressed that like his earlier films, extensive research went into the making of "Fashion".

"I have given two years in writing and researching the film and almost eight months in casting. I have watched around 70 fashion shows and talked with all the leading people in the industry," he said.

He calls the movie an enlightening treat for the layman.

"The film is for the common man. It's a window for them to know what exactly happens behind the ramp in the fashion world," he said.

"Fashion" was in the news for inviting flak from the censor board over a long, steamy scene that had to be shortened.

However, Bhandarkar dismissed it and said: "My film has not been censored. There was a certain portion of a song 'Jalwa' that the censor board felt should be minimised, which I did voluntarily. otherwise, there has been no snipping from their side. The board has always given leverage to my films and they have always treated my film well."

The industry is drawing a comparison between a scene where Kangana encounters a wardrobe malfunction on the ramp like model Carol Gracias did. There were also rumours that the director had taken inspiration from troubled model Geetanjali Nagpal's life as well.

"I don't know where these speculations come from. The wardrobe malfunctions and other events in the movie are not inspired from Carol Gracias or anyone else," Bhandarkar said.

The filmmaker, who shot to fame with the Tabu starrer "Chandni Bar" that fetched him his first National Award, says he has no plans to make typical masala films.

"I am an experimental filmmaker and I make films that are commercially viable. My films are a mixture of realism and fiction and that's why my every film has been associated with a controversy. The subjects of my films are its USP. I take it as a challenge to make films on different topics and setting them on a different premise.

"However, contrary to my genre of filmmaking, I am a fan of Manmohan Desai and David Dhawan. I love the kind of experiments I have done with my films and even if someday I make any film like theirs, I will never leave my parameters as a filmmaker," he maintained.

Bhandarkar's next project is "Jail", which is about a prisoner's escape, and Neil Nitin Mukesh plays the lead role.

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Priyanka Chopra Pictures