Bhandarkar is happy with Fashion's response

Fashion has made its statement - loud and clear, and so has Madhur Bhandarkar. It's a hit, and to celebrate the films success, UTV, Madhur Bhandarkar and his three glamorous actresses - Priyanka, Mugdha and Kangana are heading to Taj Lands End in Mumbai today. Now this will be one hell of a party where you'll see the Page 3 elites, the corporate giants and the who's who from the modelling world attend a night filled with a lot of panache. Just hours before the night out, we spoke with Madhur to congratulate him on his stupendous success. He sounds excited, "Thank you so much. I am so pleased that the audiences have loved my first big commercial film. Fashion is the biggest film of my career yet and the stakes were high. At the multiplexes across India, it is going super-strong and has also been critically acclaimed. I can't ask for more."

Even before the film was released, Fashion was hailed as Priyanka's best ever performance and now that she has given one, does her director think the same? "Priyanka has herself stated in interviews that Fashion is her best ever role. I am sure the film will fetch her the Best Actress Award at the award functions next year. But I am also pleased with the way Kangana and Mugdha have performed. Credit has to be given to them too," replies Madhur.

Reports are pouring in from the critics who have also criticised the film by saying that Madhur Bhandarkar films almost look like sequels to each other. But Bhandarkar clears the air, "From Chandni Bar to Page 3 to Corporate to Fashion, I have used a different premise in all my films. But because there are a few scenes which look the same, critics think that all my films look the same. I love having competition with myself when I am compared with my own films. It's better than be compared to any Hollywood film. Tomorrow if I put a camera in a bar, people will say it's like Chandni Bar, if I put a camera on the streets, they'll say it's like Traffic Signal. So what do I do?"

On a serious note, does Madhur really intend to make a sequel to Fashion? He states clearly, "People have always told me and have dropped in comments that I should make a sequel to Corporate, Page 3 and Chandni Bar but I am not so keen on making sequels as I like my films to end on a particular note. The sequel to Fashion is out of question."

Besides direction, Madhur loves facing the camera too, right from his Rangeela days. What say director? "It was Mr Ram Gopal Varma and Jackie Shroff who forced me to do the cameo as an assistant director in Rangeela. The film was a huge hit and now I am doing a cameo in Fashion and it's a hit again. So the formula is working. I've made many of my crew members act in my previous films. So this time they all forced me to do a cameo."

The overseas reports too are coming in left, right and centre and even though the film isn't a big box office success compared to the East, it's making its way to the top by word of mouth. Madhur has no complaints. "The kind of response I've got from the U.K, U.S, Gulf and Australia is unbelievable. It feels great. This is the first time I've gone through a bigger spectrum. Never before I have got so much response to my films from these countries. Even the songs of Fashion are chartbusters in the U.K. People have accepted Fashion in the overseas and it makes me proud."

With so much said and done about Fashion, it's time to ask Madhur about the best compliment he has received so far. Looks like it's very difficult for Madhur to recall one from the hundreds he's been getting every second. "Who so ever has seen Fashion has said that it is my careers best movie. A lot of people said that I have surpassed myself with Fashion. Karan Johar hasn't seen the film yet but Vipul Shah has and he loved it".

So as I was about to end the above paragraph, Mugdha Godse calls. Running out of breath, she goes on, "I am in the gym trying to shed more pounds for today's party", she humorously comments, and in the same breath answers, "I am really looking forward to this party today at the Taj Lands End because it is my first success party I am attending. I hope I don't get too emotional, that's the only worry. The entire cast and crew of the film will be there and it'll be the last time we all will be seeing each other together tonight."

Well, I am certain that tonight at the Taj Lands End, fashion will never remain out of style. In fact, it was in fashion yesterday, it is the rage today and it will set the pace tomorrow.