Known for his suspenseful films, filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has made news for his romantic affairs in the late 1990s and early 2000s. In a recent interview with Siddharth Kannan, Vikram Bhatt was asked whether his 2006 film Ankahee was based on his personal experiences. The director said, “Quite a bit.” It’s semi-fictionalized, in my opinion. Vikram Bhatt responded, “I think [it was based] on my situation with Sushmita and my wife,” when asked if the movie was based on his relationship with former Miss Universe and Bollywood star Sushmita Sen. It didn’t depend on incidents. There are moments when you can fictionalise an emotion. Thus, it was a true feeling in a made-up setting.
When asked if his ex-wife Aditi Bhatt was not upset with their lives being used as inspiration for cinema, Vikram Bhatt said in Hindi: “I only blamed myself in the movie. Not Sushmita or my ex-wife’s character. So why be upset? I have the right to blame myself.” About Sushmita being upset with him over the film, Vikram Bhatt said, “I don’t know. I have never asked her. But I have all the rights over my own life and my own story – not on anyone else’s life.”
When asked if his tumultuous relationships – including the much-publicised ones with Sushmita Sen and Ameesha Patel – had left him exhausted, Vikram Bhatt said, “All my relationships have taught me something. The pain has brought me to where I am today. My spiritual journey would not have been the same had I not gone through those events. I believe that we all choose our lessons before we are born and I think I chose these. And I say it with honesty that you have to own every part of your life. Everything that has happened is my decision. I let it happen. Nothing that has happened to me has happened without my permission.”
Vikram Bhatt clarified that he had no regrets in his life, including his relationship with Sushmita Sen. Not a single item. Not a single error I’ve committed a lot of errors. This is my voyage.
In 2020, art enthusiast Shwetambari Soni wed Vikram Bhatt.
