“I am hardly surprised by the poor opening of ‘Speed’ and the scathing reviews it has received,” says director Vikram Bhatt whose bad luck at the box-office continues with this film.

“In fact, I am relieved that the film has finally released. It should bring an end to my crazy phase,” confesses Vikram, who has yet to see box-office success  after  ‘Awara Paagal Deewana’ (2002). “I made some decent films and some bad films in the past. Now I have to own up to my failures,” he adds.

Still hopeful

He is hopeful about the future though, “I believe after ‘Speed’, which was supposed to release two years back, a terminally ill patient has finally died. It’s like clutching on to someone you love. But later when you don’t see a future, you finally let it go,” philosophises Vikram about the film.

Vikram refuses to accuse producer Harry Baweja for the debacle. “He did what he could. The film’s making had a number of issues with so many factors going wrong throughout the shoot. Harry wasn’t at fault at all,” he clarifies.

Introspection time

On a professional front, what exactly has gone wrong with Vikram’s cinema? “One tends to get into a comfort zone. Thrillers were going fine for me. I started repeating the genre. I ignored some other areas I could have explored.”

Reinvention program

Is ‘Mumbai Salsa’ a step in that direction? “Yes. All my  releases this year-—‘Red’, ‘Life Mein Kabhi Kabhi’, ‘Fear’ and ‘Speed’ were shot last year. But since November 2006 I have been working with new writers; sitting over new subjects. With ‘Mumbai Salsa’ I am turning producer while Manoj Tyagi debuts as a director. The film is extremely naughty and is set in a different idiom altogether.”

What happens to his first love—direction? “I am currently getting my ambitious venture ‘1920’ with newcomers in place. It is a period horror film for which Mumbai, Delhi and Mussorie of yore would be recreated!”