'Duniya mein itni problem chal rahi hai, why should I be interested in somebody's love story?': Tigmanshu Dhulia says 'there are far more interesting subjects apart from love stories'
Filmmaker and actor Tigmanshu Dhulia , known for his gritty and rooted storytelling, has revealed why he has little interest in making a conventional love story . The ' Ghamasaan ' director said there are more compelling subjects to explore at a time when the world is facing several pressing issues. He also opened up about his preference for directing over acting and recalled how he unexpectedly made his acting debut.
Why Tigmanshu Dhulia will not make a love storyTigmanshu Dhulia has explored crime, politics, social realities and human conflict through his work, but romance has rarely featured as the central theme of his films. Asked whether he would consider making an urban love story, the filmmaker told HT City, “Absolutely not.”
Explaining his perspective, Dhulia said, “It’s because there are far more interesting subjects apart from love stories. I don’t watch love stories.”
He added, “Duniya mein itni problem chal rahi hai (a lot of problems are going around the world), and okay, the film should not appear like a newspaper; it should be engaging and entertaining. But if so many things are happening, why the hell should I be interested in somebody’s love story? It’s happening between two people.”
However, Dhulia said he could be interested in a love story if it had a larger social, cultural or historical dimension. Citing ' Mughal-e-Azam ' and 'Ek Duje Ke Liye' as examples, he said, “It’s not worth making a film until it’s a love story like ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ or ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’, where there is a language or cultural conflict.”
He concluded, “I can’t comment on love stories today because I don’t watch them only.”
Tigmanshu Dhulia says directing comes before actingHaving worked both behind and in front of the camera, Dhulia said directing remains his primary profession and that he considers acting a “luxury”.
“I started as a director, so that is my work. Acting is a luxury,” he said.
Dhulia also reflected on how acting became part of his career despite initially believing he was not suited for it. A graduate of the National School of Drama, he specialised in acting during his studies but chose not to pursue it professionally.
“I’m a graduate from the National School of Drama. I specialised in acting, but I did not pursue it because I thought that I was a very bad actor, and I was,” he recalled.
He said his transition to acting happened unexpectedly when Anurag Kashyap, who had worked with him on Shaagird, approached him for a role.
“I never acted, but because Anurag Kashyap worked in ‘Shaagird’ with me, he asked me to do it. I didn’t give much thought and said yes, and I didn’t realise how big the role was,” Dhulia said.
The filmmaker only realised the scale of the commitment shortly before filming began.
“When they came to me for prosthetics and the shoot was to start in 20 days, that’s when it hit me what I had signed up for. I hadn’t acted before, but the confidence came because I knew everyone on the sets of ‘ Gangs Of Wasseypur ’,” he said.
Recalling how he approached the challenge, Dhulia added, “Confidence mein kar diya to woh ho gaya (since I did it with confidence, it worked out).”
More about Tigmanshu Dhulia’s ‘Ghamasaan’Dhulia’s latest directorial, 'Ghamasaan', is a dacoit drama inspired by the life and legend of dacoit Dadua. The film stars Pratik Gandhi and Arshad Warsi in the lead roles, with Rajpal Yadav and Ishita Dutta also featuring in pivotal parts. The film, which was originally conceived as a theatrical project, premiered on ZEE5 on September 11, 2026.
Set against the backdrop of the Bundelkhand region, 'Ghamasaan' explores the conflict between its central characters while drawing from the landscape and social realities associated with the region.
Why Tigmanshu Dhulia will not make a love storyTigmanshu Dhulia has explored crime, politics, social realities and human conflict through his work, but romance has rarely featured as the central theme of his films. Asked whether he would consider making an urban love story, the filmmaker told HT City, “Absolutely not.”
Explaining his perspective, Dhulia said, “It’s because there are far more interesting subjects apart from love stories. I don’t watch love stories.”
He added, “Duniya mein itni problem chal rahi hai (a lot of problems are going around the world), and okay, the film should not appear like a newspaper; it should be engaging and entertaining. But if so many things are happening, why the hell should I be interested in somebody’s love story? It’s happening between two people.”
However, Dhulia said he could be interested in a love story if it had a larger social, cultural or historical dimension. Citing ' Mughal-e-Azam ' and 'Ek Duje Ke Liye' as examples, he said, “It’s not worth making a film until it’s a love story like ‘Mughal-e-Azam’ or ‘Ek Duje Ke Liye’, where there is a language or cultural conflict.”
He concluded, “I can’t comment on love stories today because I don’t watch them only.”
Tigmanshu Dhulia says directing comes before actingHaving worked both behind and in front of the camera, Dhulia said directing remains his primary profession and that he considers acting a “luxury”.
“I started as a director, so that is my work. Acting is a luxury,” he said.
Dhulia also reflected on how acting became part of his career despite initially believing he was not suited for it. A graduate of the National School of Drama, he specialised in acting during his studies but chose not to pursue it professionally.
“I’m a graduate from the National School of Drama. I specialised in acting, but I did not pursue it because I thought that I was a very bad actor, and I was,” he recalled.
He said his transition to acting happened unexpectedly when Anurag Kashyap, who had worked with him on Shaagird, approached him for a role.
“I never acted, but because Anurag Kashyap worked in ‘Shaagird’ with me, he asked me to do it. I didn’t give much thought and said yes, and I didn’t realise how big the role was,” Dhulia said.
The filmmaker only realised the scale of the commitment shortly before filming began.
“When they came to me for prosthetics and the shoot was to start in 20 days, that’s when it hit me what I had signed up for. I hadn’t acted before, but the confidence came because I knew everyone on the sets of ‘ Gangs Of Wasseypur ’,” he said.
Recalling how he approached the challenge, Dhulia added, “Confidence mein kar diya to woh ho gaya (since I did it with confidence, it worked out).”
More about Tigmanshu Dhulia’s ‘Ghamasaan’Dhulia’s latest directorial, 'Ghamasaan', is a dacoit drama inspired by the life and legend of dacoit Dadua. The film stars Pratik Gandhi and Arshad Warsi in the lead roles, with Rajpal Yadav and Ishita Dutta also featuring in pivotal parts. The film, which was originally conceived as a theatrical project, premiered on ZEE5 on September 11, 2026.
Set against the backdrop of the Bundelkhand region, 'Ghamasaan' explores the conflict between its central characters while drawing from the landscape and social realities associated with the region.
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