Director Vasan Bala said that it wasn’t until he was hired to direct the Netflix film Monica, O My Darling that he felt a sense of final security. Although he’d been working in the film business for years, and had two features under his belt, he hadn’t found commercial success. His last film was his biggest yet. He directed Alia Bhatt in the drama-thriller Jigra, produced by Karan Johar. The movie flopped at the box office, and Vasan said in an interview that he still hasn’t recovered from the setback. He also revealed that he still can’t afford a house of his own, and lives in a rented house in Juhu.
In an interview with Cyrus Broacha, Vasan said, “The Jigra box office was a sucker punch. It really knocks you out, and I’m still waking up. But (new) scripts are also happening in the recovery process.” Asked if he was happy with the film, Vasan said, “Yes, absolutely. I had a great time working with the crew, and I had a great time working with Alia. She’s an incredible actress, she has an incredible work-ethic and vision.”
Vasan joked that the most successful people in the industry are the ones who ‘shoot 200 days’ and are ‘indecisive’. He said that he still can’t afford to go on set and figure things out, or change plans. “You appreciate success more this way, when you don’t have it. But not as much when you’re trying to buy houses. The extra money doesn’t hurt. I still live in a rented house.” Seemingly poking fun at certain filmmakers who take hundreds of days to shoot films and cancel schedules on a whim, he said, “The biggest symbol of success is being indecisive. We don’t have the luxury to be indecisive. This is success; when you can come and be indecisive, and say, ‘Aaj shoot nahi’, and tell the actors, ‘I don’t feel like shooting today’.”
Vasan also joked that he visited the set of a Mani Ratnam film for a couple of days, and felt like an AD. “Sometimes, ADs can buy a house but the director can’t. It’s a legit profession. After Jigra, I went back to a Mani Ratnam set though. I went for two days, just to be around a film set, because I thought I’d never go back.” Jigra was released to divisive reviews in 2024. The movie made Rs 55 crore on a budget of Rs 80 crore.
In a post-release interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Vasan was asked if he feels like he disappointed Alia and Karan. He said, “I do feel it. I feel it majorly. I mean, they are supremely supportive, and there is no ounce of letting me feel like this. It is something that I have to grapple with.”
