Devashish Makhija has revisited a defining chapter of his career in the Hindi film industry. The filmmaker, whose latest directorial ‘Gandhari’ is currently streaming on OTT, recalled signing a three-film deal with Yash Raj Films (YRF) at the age of 27. At the time, the agreement appeared to be a major career breakthrough. However, the first project under the deal was eventually shelved. The development left Devashish Makhija questioning his career choices for several years.His first feature, ‘Ajji’, eventually took shape and was released in 2017. The filmmaker has since directed films including ‘Bhonsle’ and ‘Joram’.
Devashish Makhija came to Mumbai with Rs 700
Devashish Makhija’s entry into Mumbai was far removed from the success he later experienced in the film industry. He arrived from Kolkata in the 1990s with just Rs 700 in his possession. Since he did not know anyone in the city, he spent three nights sleeping at Goregaon railway station. He later found a directory called the ‘Film Directors Index’, which listed landline numbers of film directors.Devashish began making calls from public telephones in search of opportunities. He made at least 100 calls and eventually managed to connect with Anurag Kashyap.Anurag Kashyap gave him an opportunity to work on ‘Black Friday’. Devashish worked on the script structure and assisted with the research. He later got an opportunity to assist Shaad Ali on ‘Bunty Aur Babli’ (2005).
His YRF project was eventually shelved
His association with ‘Bunty Aur Babli’ proved significant for Devashish Makhija. He became friends with writer Jaideep Sahni, who had written the Shaad Ali directorial. This eventually helped him secure the three-film agreement with Aditya Chopra at YRF.Devashish was 27 when he signed the deal. He considered it a major personal victory. The first project was supposed to be an animated film that would follow ‘Roadside Romeo’ (2008).The project was part of YRF’s collaboration with Walt Disney. However, its production was linked to the performance of ‘Roadside Romeo’. When the film failed at the box office, Devashish’s project was also shelved.“Roadside Romeo had to succeed for my film to get made. I was in production for three years. Roadside Romeo tanked and they shut my film,” he said in a chat with the YouTube channel of Rediff Originals. He described it as “probably the first film ever to get shelved at YRF.”
Why Devashish Makhija walked away from YRF
The shelved project meant Devashish Makhija had already spent three years on a film that would not be made. He eventually decided to leave the three-film arrangement.“I lost 3 years there,” he said and added, “I walked away. I said, ‘I have lost three years so let me go. If I feel like coming back I will but I have other stories inside me.”He subsequently travelled across Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Chhattisgarh. His research focused on stories involving Adivasi communities. The experience later became relevant to ‘Joram’, starring Manoj Bajpayee.Devashish also reflected on the alternate career path he might have had if his YRF project had reached production.“I would be making the Manish Sharma, Ali Abbas Zafar kind of films right now, maybe in my own way, I don’t know,” he said.
‘Joram’ release left him bankrupt
Devashish Makhija’s filmography includes ‘Ajji’ (2017), ‘Bhonsle’ (2018) and ‘Joram’ (2023). His latest film, ‘Gandhari’, was a different experience. It marked the first time he directed a film based on someone else’s script. Kanika Dhillon wrote the film.The filmmaker has also spoken about the financial struggles he faced during his career. In a 2024 conversation with Pranav Chokhani, he revealed that he had been unable to pay his rent for nearly five months. “I am over 40 years old, and I cannot even afford to buy a bicycle,” he said.The financial crisis followed the release of ‘Joram’. The Manoj Bajpayee-starrer was reportedly made on a budget of Rs 1 crore but earned only Rs 16 lakh. Devashish Makhija said he was “bankrupt” after the film failed to deliver the returns he had expected.
