His super-hit 'Chandni Bar' released in 2001. His flop 'Satta' came early this year. But Madhur Bhandarkar continues to ride the crest of critical acclaim. A video library owner turned filmmaker, he is now one of the sought-after new breed directors.

Bhandarkar refuses to be straitjacketed as a 'certain' kind of director, saying he wants to explore all kinds of genres. "That's exactly why I am doing Firoz Nadiadwala's 'Aan- Men at Work' (Shatru, Akshay, Suniel, Lara, Jackie, Raveena). It is a biggie. It features on the police system in our country.” However, his next film will be co-produced by him. “It's titled 'Page 3' and it deals with the hypocritical life of the page 3 socialities. It's back to my 'Chandni Bar' and 'Satta' type of cinema. Konkona Sen Sharma will play the protagonist- the journalist who peeps into socialities' lives.”

“Seeing 'Mr & Mrs Iyer', I could not refrain calling to congratulate her on her stupendous performance. We both discovered that we wanted to work with each other. That's how 'Page 3' materialised.”

To be produced by Madhur Bhandarkar and Bobby Pushkarna, 'Page 3' will roll in December this year. "'Page 3' will be better than 'Chandni Bar'," Bhandarkar promises, "It's a much better script. Besides, with a powerhouse of talent like Konkona- who was adjudged the Best Actress at the National Film Awards for 'Mr & Mrs Iyer' this year- playing the protagonist, it should be a dual treat for the viewers," he says hoping to complete the film by February next.

Wasn't Kareena Kapoor his first choice for 'Page 3'? "
Yes. But the rates and the dates could not be adjusted to suit both of us," he says matter-of-factly.

"At times, I toy with the idea of a David Dhawan-style comedy. At others, I toy with the idea of making films like 'Kuch Kuch Hota Hai' and 'Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge', but so far I have not been sufficiently charged about that. The day that happens, you will see Madhur making even such kind of stuff, " he adds.

Speaking on his ongoing 'Aan- Men at Work' casting, he says, "Firoz and I did it mutually. Watch out for Raveena Tandon in this film. She has a great role. She plays Jackie Shroff's mistress. Jackie plays a business tycoon having underworld connections."

Is 'Aan- Men at Work' similar to Raj Kumar Santoshi's 'Khakee'? Isn't there a race between the two movies on who would reach the theatres first?
"Not at all," he says. "Santoshi and I have discussed this. We are making two different films. Akshay Kumar is a part of both ventures. We have asked him to. He has confirmed that there's nothing similar. 'Khakee' will release by end November, while our film will release about a month later."

Wasn't Amitabh Bachchan the first choice for Shatrughan Sinha's role? Didn't the Big B actually walk out because Bhandarkar had some differences with Amar Singh, politician friend of Amitabh?
He lets out a long sigh, "It was just a problem of dates. Bachchan Saab could not allot the dates which we wanted. Hopefully, we'll work together very soon."

Despite his post Chandni Bar status, Bhandarkar is not ashamed that his first directorial attempt 'Trishakti' which was a disaster at the turnstiles. "You have to fumble and stumble before succeeding," he says. "I don't want to offer any excuses for the fact that the film disappeared without a trace."

And so this former assistant director of Ram Gopal Varma got it right with his second film, 'Chandni Bar', a film about a girl who comes to Mumbai from the riot-affected Uttar Pradesh to be sucked as a dancer in a beer bar.

"After 'Trishakti', I lay low for about 18 months. I decided I would not make my second film just for the heck of it. Then, one day, my friend and I walked into a beer bar. I was flabbergasted to see the girls dancing, the guests cheering lustily and throwing money drunkenly. Bells started ringing in my head. And I had the subject for my second film," he reveals.

'Chandni Bar' might not have been a hit like 'Gadar- Ek Prem Katha' and 'Lagaan', but it made waves with the starkness of its theme and realistic approach.

Did he expect 'Chandni Bar' to win so much acclaim, especially from the critics?
"Difficult to answer that. But honestly, I made the film without an eye at the box-office," he claims.

A fair amount of research went into the film, though. "I did do a lot of research. And that is because I believe we must stop taking cinematic liberties and be honest to ourselves. I spent five to six months just collecting information and observing behaviour in bars. I went through many related stories and familiarised myself with some of the girls' incidents. I spoke to bar owners, customers, dancing girls, and God knows how many more people."

Bhandarkar has also been linked up to hot heroines like Tabu, Raveena Tandon... and now Lara Dutta?
He blushes, "These are preposterous rumours. I have a very good rapport with all three of them, that's all. I am not Brad Pitt that so many lovelies would fall for me."