Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

“I wanted to drink myself to death after the failure of Delhi 6,” reveals director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra in his autobiography

“I wanted to drink myself to death after the failure of Delhi 6,” reveals director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra in his autobiography

Bollywood filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has a few remarkable films to his credit, including Rang De Basanti (2006), and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013). The former has gone on to attain cult status. If we talk about Mehra’s filmography, it is impossible to not include his 2009 directorial Delhi 6 in the discussion.

Starring Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor in lead roles, Delhi 6 came three years after Rang De Basanti. Though there are millions who love the film today, it was declared a flop by the end of its box office run some twelve years ago.


In his autobiography, The Stranger in the Mirror, co-written by Reeta Ramamurthy Gupta, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has revealed that the failure of Delhi 6 hit him hard and he turned to alcohol to cope with the same. He also wrote that he wanted to drink himself to death.

“The film opened on Friday, 20 February 2009, to a great response. By Sunday, we had done over ₹40 crore (approximately £3,869,471) of business, but then came Monday, and the audience just vanished from the theatres. I was devastated. Was it too dark a reality for them? Were they unable to identify with the protagonist? The box office debacle, and my own conflict with what ending was appropriate, shook me deeply. Was I capable of producing great cinema consistently? Was Rang De Basanti a fluke?” a leading daily quoted him of having written in his book.

“I was going deeper and deeper into a dark hole. Unable to take it anymore, I drowned myself in alcohol. I wanted to drink myself to death — to sleep and never get up. I could see how much pain I was bringing to Bharathi (his wife) and our daughter, Bhairavi, who was now in her pre-teens. My son Vedant was observing and things were eroding between us. I remained careless and insensitive to the people I loved the most,” Rakeysh added.

Six months after the release of the film, the filmmaker called up his cinematographer Binod Pradhan and they reworked the ending of the film along with Bharathi and submitted the film to the Venice Film Festival where it won accolades. Back home, Delhi 6 went on to win two National Awards - Best Production Design and the Nargis Dutt Award for the best feature film on national integration.

If you are affected by any of the issues mentioned in this article, contact Samaritans free of charge on 116 123 or see https://www.samaritans.org/.

More For You

South Park Paramount Plus

South Park fans call out Paramount Plus for pulling the show worldwide

Variety

'South Park' fans lash out after Paramount Plus removes show outside the US ahead of season 27

Highlights:

South Park pulled from Paramount+ globally after licence expiry
• Fans in UK, Canada, Australia, and Europe react with outrage
• Dispute linked to £6.3 billion (₹673 billion) Paramount-Skydance merger and ongoing contract standoff
• Season 27 premieres 23 July on Comedy Central in the US, leaving global fans stranded

Fans around the world are up in arms after South Park disappeared from Paramount+ outside the US. With just days to go until the season 27 premiere, international viewers are calling out Paramount Global for yanking the show due to a lapsed streaming deal and are threatening to cancel subscriptions over what they see as corporate mishandling.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kanye West responds to ex-assistant’s amended sex assault

Lauren Pisciotta has accused Kanye West of repeated sexual misconduct

BBC/Getty Images

Kanye West responds to ex-assistant’s amended sex assault lawsuit, calls it “fantasy fiction”

Highlights:

  • Kanye West has dismissed ex-assistant Lauren Pisciotta’s latest lawsuit as a “delusional” and “contradictory” narrative.
  • Pisciotta accuses West of multiple acts of sexual assault and misconduct, including forced oral sex and workplace harassment.
  • West’s team argues the claims are inconsistent and defamatory, pledging to fight them in court.
  • Pisciotta’s attorney Lisa Bloom insists West has already admitted to key parts of the allegations and will face justice.

Kanye West has hit back at explosive sexual assault and sex trafficking allegations from former Yeezy employee Lauren Pisciotta, branding her newly amended lawsuit as a fabricated and conflicting tale. The rapper’s legal team released a fiery statement slamming the accusations, which include claims of rape, forced sexual exposure, and workplace abuse.

  Kanye West’s spokesperson says the claims are inconsistent and defamatoryBBC/Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Gregg Wallace misconduct BBC

Gregg Wallace was dropped after a 19-year misconduct span

Getty Images

Gregg Wallace faces permanent BBC exit as MasterChef report confirms 45 misconduct claims

Highlights:

  • Investigation confirms 45 out of 83 allegations against MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace.
  • BBC and production company Banijay say his return to the show is “untenable”.
  • Complaints span nearly two decades, including inappropriate sexual comments and unwanted touching.
  • Wallace insists he was “cleared of the most serious claims” and blames a toxic culture.

The BBC has formally cut ties with MasterChef presenter Gregg Wallace after a seven-month investigation upheld 45 allegations of misconduct, including unwanted physical contact and inappropriate sexual remarks, made against him over a 19-year period.

The inquiry, commissioned by MasterChef’s production company Banijay UK and led by law firm Lewis Silkin, examined 83 separate claims against the 60-year-old, with over half substantiated. The BBC has confirmed it has “no plans to work with him in future,” citing behaviour that falls short of the broadcaster’s values.

Keep ReadingShow less
Pedro Pascal

Pedro Pascal shuts down age criticism after being cast as Mister Fantastic

Instagram/fantasticfour

Pedro Pascal hits back at At Marvel fans questioning his 'Fantastic Four' casting at 50

Highlights:

  • Pedro Pascal is cast as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four: First Steps, making him the oldest actor to play the role.
  • Some Marvel fans criticised his age, claiming he’s too old to portray the superhero.
  • Pascal responded at a London fan event, saying the negativity "comes with the territory."
  • The Marvel reboot releases in cinemas on 25 July 2025 and features Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Julia Garner.

Pedro Pascal is brushing off the online criticism surrounding his casting as Reed Richards in Fantastic Four: First Steps, saying he’s focused on meeting fan expectations, even if some think he’s too old for the role. The 50-year-old The Last of Us star, who will soon join the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the stretchy genius Mister Fantastic, addressed the backlash at a fan event in London. Many social media users had argued that Pascal was miscast due to his age, but the actor says he’s learned to take the criticism in stride.

  Pedro Pascal addresses fan backlash over playing Reed Richards at 50Getty Images

Keep ReadingShow less
Kangana Ranaut

Kangana says she isn’t equal to a labourer, mother or Mukesh Ambani

Getty Images

Kangana Ranaut calls equality a delusion, says it created a "generation of morons"

Highlights:

  • Kangana Ranaut says the concept of equality has created a “generation of morons”.
  • Claims she’s not equal to Ambani, her mother, or even a labourer.
  • Her current views contradict her 2018 stance on gender equality in cinema.
  • Actor-MP to appear in a psychological thriller with R. Madhavan.

Kangana Ranaut has courted controversy again, this time with her take on equality. In a recent interview, the actor-turned-politician called the modern idea of equality “a delusion”, claiming it has produced a generation that overestimates itself. The Queen star, now an elected MP from Mandi, also argued that no one is equal to anyone, citing herself, Mukesh Ambani, her mother, and even daily-wage workers as examples of how everyone plays unique roles in society.

 Kangana Ranaut Kangana Ranaut speaks on equality and her role as a ParliamentarianGetty Images

Keep ReadingShow less