'You cannot keep a good film and a good man...': Hansal Mehta talks about Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Pathaan's success

Starring Shah Rukh Khan in the titular role, the action-packed entertainer Pathaan has revived Bollywood through its glorious run at the box office becoming the first Hindi film to cross the Rs 400 crore mark in India (as per net collection). Also starring Deepika Padukone and John Abraham, the Siddharth Anand-directed actioner has earned over Rs 800 crore gross worldwide.

Now, in a recent interview, acclaimed director Hansal Mehta heaped praises on the recent blockbuster comparing it with his latest release Faraaz. Speaking to PTI, the filmmaker said, "Pathaan is as political as perhaps Faraaz, but the expression is different. The way it is done is different, the audience is different. All kinds of films need to be made. If my film has to be made then a Rohit Shetty film also should be made. A ‘Pathaan’ has to flourish for my film to breathe. The industry is interdependent

Asked to comment on Prime Minister Narendra Modi cautioning his party workers to refrain from making unnecessary comments on movies, Mehta welcomed the PM’s statement, adding a good film will eventually get its due. “It is an important statement to make. Having said that, a good film is a good film and it will reach the audience. And that is what ‘Pathaan’ has proven. You cannot keep a good film and a good man down for too long. There are some really good films that didn’t find an audience. But then they found an audience on OTT or somewhere. Times are changing,” he said.

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Talking about Faraaz, the Hansal Mehta directorial was released in the cinemas on February 3. Marking the acting debut of Shashi Kapoor's grandson and Kunal Kapoor's son Zahan Kapoor, the tense hostage thriller film is based on the 2016 Dhaka terror attack. It also stars Paresh Rawal's son Aditya Rawal in the leading role.