Farah Khan has delivered several blockbuster films over the years, from her directorial debut Main Hoon Na to the much-loved Om Shanti Om and even otherwise largely middling Happy New Year.
The only film in her directorial career that failed at the box office was Tees Maar Khan. Released 15 years ago, the film was heavily criticised by both audiences and critics at the time, but has since found a loyal fan following.
Farah Khan recently looked back at the film’s failure and the emotional toll it took on her during a conversation with Shekhar Suman. She said, “Before Tees Maar Khan, I had no period of gloom. Everything I was doing was clicking. Tees Maar Khan was the only time when I so-called ‘failed.’ Now, of course, it has become a cult film.” Recalling how deeply the experience affected her, she added, “It was very painful, and yes, at that point I was devastated. I got up from my bed only after one week.”
Earlier this year, during an appearance on The Ranveer Show, Farah Khan had also spoken about how Tees Maar Khan marked the darkest phase of her career. “It puts you on the backfoot for very long. You get over it, bounce back, and go to work, but in your mind, you’re always on the backfoot. You don’t have self-doubt, but people try to push you towards that. Even when your film becomes a hit, people may make you feel you can do anything. But you have to question that as well. They’d blindly do whatever you want them to do because they feel you know everything. Career-wise, it wasn’t a good phase for me.”
She also revealed that many people in the film industry seemed “happy” because she had experienced failure for the first time in her life. Fortunately, her personal life provided stability during that difficult period, as she and her husband, editor Shirish Kunder, welcomed their triplets.