Vidhu Vinod Chopra isn’t one to mince words, and lately, he’s been pretty blunt about how success messes with people in the film industry.
During an interview with director Jaskunwar Kohli on SCREEN’s Creator x Creator, Vidhu Vinod Chopra spoke about how success changes people, sometimes in ways that aren’t exactly flattering.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra says how people change after fame
A lot of his old assistants are directors now—big names, even—but the moment they tasted a bit of fame? Different people. He’s not just talking about behind-the-scenes types, either. Hrithik Roshan, Vidya Balan, Boman Irani—Chopra remembers when they were newcomers, hungry and fresh, and, in his words, “there’s more purity in new people, less corruption.”
But as soon as their movies hit it big, something shifted. He’s not singling anyone out. This just seems to be how it goes. It’s not even personal—it’s the air in the industry.
Honestly, that’s why he prefers working with new faces. He’s seen what happens when someone gets their first taste of stardom—one hit, and you can almost see it in their walk.
The humility fades, the ego creeps in. He rattled off movies: Mission Kashmir for Hrithik, Parineeta for Vidya, Munna Bhai MBBS for Boman. All their debuts, all at the start of something, before the spotlight started to warp things.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra expresses frustration over box office obsession
Vidhu Vinod Chopra didn’t stop there. He’s pretty fed up with the current state of Bollywood, saying producers, directors, and actors care more about box office numbers than actual filmmaking. “Nobody has a vision,” he said.
“No one wants to create for the joy of creating anymore.” It’s all about chasing hits. Forget originality—just give people what sells.
He even shared this story about a producer friend. Before his film succeeded, the guy was all soft-spoken and polite. Fast-forward to a hit, and suddenly he’s strutting around, voice booming, totally transformed.
Vidhu Vinod Chopra roasted him a bit: “Did your film become a hit or something?”
Of course, not everyone remembers Chopra as the most loyal guy, either. Actor Paresh Rawal once said Chopra ignored his early crew after he made it big. Rawal claimed Chopra wasn’t the same person once the fame hit—he even recounted how a lowball offer for Munna Bhai left him annoyed.
Chopra’s not exactly struggling, though. His latest, 12th Fail, got tons of praise—critics ate it up, audiences too. Add that to his track record with giants like Munna Bhai MBBS and 3 Idiots, and he’s got nothing left to prove.
