'UG was the love of my life'

Mahesh Bhatt speaks about his mentor ug Krishnamurthy at the launch of his book, A taste of lifeu00a0

As a director what excites you commercial flicks or meaningful cinema?
They are two different needs. Commercial films demand market share and art films are people's films. As a 'thought leader' I have made realistic films. People welcome both kinds of films with the same enthusiasm but I think the so-called 'gatekeepers of culture' have widened the divide between the two kinds of films. However, I find myself comfortably oscillating between the two.

Many of your fans miss your presence behind the camera. Why did you choose to retire from active direction?
My desire to make movies was withering. I no longer experienced the tearing urgency to tell stories. And that's why I decided to step out of direction. But I haven't really introspected much into this and I have no regrets.

You have openly admitted that you are not looking to please people but only want their money. Do you stand by your words?
Yes, I had indeed said that I would want people's money rather than their praise. I am in the film making business. If I wanted to earn people's praise I would rather sit and write poems.u00a0u00a0
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What's your take on recession affecting Bollywood?
It is a fact that recession has hit everything. I believe that it is time now to separate the men from the boys. Real talent is being filtered at this point in time.
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What do you have to say about Shiney Ahuja's episode?
We must wait for the experts to give their opinion. The Shiney I know couldn't have possibly done this. As of now all the evidence seems to be against him but it is too early to comment. If Shiney is proven guilty then he should be condemned like any other rapist. As far as my relationship with him is concerned, I will still continue to keep in touch with him. But I fail to understand why such a good looking and successful man like him would commit such an atrocity.
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Tell us about your book, A Taste of Life.
The book is very close to my heart as it is based on the last days of UG Krishnamurthy. He was the one who shaped me and helped me. Every idea that I came up with was after a fierce interaction with him. He was clearly the love of my life. And I chose to write a book, as I believe it is based on reality.

Bangalore to you is...
reat place. It has shaped me and accepted me. The city is also improving in various matters; it's a good place to be in.

What do you have to say to those who don't know Mahesh Bhatt?
Although the public knows everything about my life perhaps the one thing that many people don't know is that I am a good singer. I also have a desire to sing for one of my films.