Home / Arts and Entertainment / Farhan Akhtar's Candid Confession: How a Flop Film Plunged Him into Depression Before His Comeback
Farhan Akhtar's Candid Confession: How a Flop Film Plunged Him into Depression Before His Comeback
19 Oct
Summary
- Farhan Akhtar's first film Dil Chahta Hai was a big hit, but his next film Lakshya underperformed at the box office
- Lakshya's failure led Akhtar into depression for about a year and a half
- Akhtar worked extremely hard on Lakshya, but was genuinely depressed when it didn't do well
In a recent interview, acclaimed director Farhan Akhtar candidly discussed his journey in the film industry, including the challenges he faced after his initial success.
Akhtar marked his directorial debut in 2001 with the hit film Dil Chahta Hai, which was widely praised. However, his next film Lakshya, released in 2004, did not perform well at the box office. Akhtar revealed that the failure of Lakshya plunged him into a deep depression that lasted for about a year and a half.
The director shared that he had put in immense effort and hard work into making Lakshya, as he was determined to create a film that would impress the Indian army. However, when the film did not meet his expectations, Akhtar was genuinely devastated. "When the film didn't do well, mai itna depressed ho gaya ki yaar, yeh kaise ho gaya? Itni mehnat ki maine," he said.
Akhtar contrasted this experience with the making of Dil Chahta Hai, where he had hardly put in any effort, as the casting and other elements just fell into place. In comparison, the making of Lakshya was a much more challenging and difficult process for him.
Despite the setback, Akhtar has since bounced back stronger. He is now gearing up for the release of his upcoming film 120 Bahadur, slated for November 2025, and is also set to direct the third installment of the popular Don franchise, with Ranveer Singh in the lead role.
