Shekhar Kapur recalls risking everything, leaving India to achieve creative heights in Hollywood: ‘I ran out of money’ | Bollywood-OxBig News Network

Shekhar Kapur recalls leaving India at peak of his career for Hollywood

On Tuesday, a fan made a request to the filmmaker on X, writing, “Dear sir, please teach some directing skills to your Indian counterparts as well. They are still dependent on stars and item numbers, but still failing to deliver a decent hit. Regards. Your fan.”

Responding to him, Shekhar recalled how he ran out of money and slept on sofas when he left India and moved to Hollywood. He said, “Many years ago, after Bandit Queen became the most celebrated film at the Cannes Film Festival, I was faced with a decision. I could’ve stayed on in India. But after Masoom, Mr India and Bandit Queen, I needed to climb a higher mountain. I needed to challenge failure again. So I gave up everything… and went to Hollywood and started all over again. Ran out of money. Slept on friends’ sofas. Fought hard all over again.”

Shekhar says directors in India have to risk everything for creative challenge

He shared the lesson he learnt from this and added, “And after three years of that, I made Elizabeth. Got nominated for eight Oscars, including Best Picture – when only five films were nominated, not ten. The lesson? At every point in your life, be willing to risk everything if you want to look for new horizons. That’s what directors in India need to do – risk everything for creative challenge.”

About Shekhar Kapur

Shekhar made his directorial debut with the family drama Masoom in 1983, starring Naseeruddin Shah, Shabana Azmi, and a young Jugal Hansraj and Urmila Matondkar. The film was a commercial success, earning Shekhar recognition in Bollywood. He went on to direct Mr India, which featured Anil Kapoor, Sridevi, and Amrish Puri. The film received widespread acclaim and became a milestone in Hindi cinema.

He then made Bandit Queen, which stirred massive controversy upon its release. While the film received an overwhelming response at the Cannes Film Festival, it faced opposition in India due to its bold portrayal of one of the country’s most feared dacoits, Phoolan Devi, and her life. Following this, the filmmaker moved to Hollywood and directed Elizabeth, a fictional account of the reign of British Queen Elizabeth I, which was nominated for seven Oscars. His last directorial venture was in 2022 – a British romantic comedy film titled What’s Love Got to Do with It?