Was television a buffer when the film industry had labelled you a “flop director\?
No. Television has taught me a lot of things. When my films weren’t happening, I could either have run after producers for work or done something on my own. I chose the latter. I decided that I wanted people to notice me for the talent I have and subsequently, make it big on my own. The other thing is, I am a working man. I have to always do something and I am not very fussy about the kind of work, just the quality. What was the most trying thing when you switched to TV? I used to hate shooting with a small camera. I was trained to make cinemascope films and I was shooting serials with a small camera. In fact, I had given my crew strict instructions that they should not plan any shoots in the vicinity of where films were being shot. It annoyed me and there have been occasions when I have told my unit to pack-up just because there was a film being shot nearby. Was Bollywood where you always wanted to be? I am mad about films. I would always be running away from school and college to see
