Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt and his wife were arrested in connection with a multi-crore cheating case filed in Rajasthan, in which they were accused of fraud of Rs 30 crore with Udaipur-based Dr Ajay Murdia, founder of the Indira Group of Companies. In a recent interview, he has opened up on the support he received from mentor Mahesh Bhatt during what he calls as one of the most difficult phases of his life.After the Rajasthan High Court rejected his bail plea, Vikram spent nearly two-and-a-half months in custody before the Supreme Court granted him bail in February this year. While Mahesh Bhatt did not make any public statements during that period, Vikram recently revealed that the veteran filmmaker congratulated him after his release.Vikram shared that Mahesh remained closely connected with his family throughout the ordeal. He said in an interview with News18, “His support means a lot. But what could he have done? I was in. How could I chat with him? I was only allowed five minutes a day to speak to anyone. Five minutes is too less. It used to get over before it even started,” he says.Explaining that direct communication was nearly impossible, Vikram added, “I wasn’t somewhere where anybody could reach me. But he used to speak to my kids, my sister-in-law and my brother-in-law.” Reflecting on Mahesh’s position during the controversy, Vikram said that his mentor felt constrained by the circumstances. “But it was the law. And he was helpless. And somewhere, I feel, he curbed himself because he knew that this was a power game.”Mahesh deliberately avoided making provocative remarks out of concern that it could worsen the situation. “He knew there was no sense of fairness in whatever happened. He was afraid that any provocative statement might only upset the powers that be and I could land up in more trouble. So, he resisted. And that’s the truth of the matter,” he further states.The controversy stemmed from ‘Tumko Meri Kasam’, Vikram’s 2025 film inspired by Dr Murdia’s life. The project landed in the spotlight after SEBI reportedly suspected it was being used to promote Indira IVF during a fundraising phase. Just a week after the film’s theatrical release, Indira IVF withdrew its proposed Rs 3,500-crore IPO amid regulatory scrutiny from SEBI.The film itself failed to make an impact at the box office and received poor reviews from critics.When asked whether the absence of the Bhatt banner’s backing contributed to the film’s failure, Vikram dismissed the notion. “Yes, it flopped. But I hadn’t directed for Vishesh Films in the last 12 years [even when Mahesh was associated with it]. A lot of my hits like ‘Awara Paagal Deewana’, ‘Deewane Huye Paagal’, ‘1920’, ‘Haunted’ and ‘1921’ weren’t with them,” he states.Emphasising that success ultimately depends on one’s own abilities, Vikram concluded, “The only cushion is your work. There’s no other cushion. Any other cushion can be taken away from you. Your talent and your hard work is the only thing you can rely on.”
