Film director Devashish Makhija has had a long and challenging journey in the Hindi film industry, marked by years of struggle and setbacks. From arriving in Mumbai with Rs 700 in his pocket and spending nights at a railway station to signing a three-film deal with Yash Raj Films (YRF), his career has taken several unexpected turns.
The filmmaker, whose latest directorial Gandhari is currently streaming on Netflix, has previously directed films including Ajji, Bhonsle, and Joram. In a chat with the YouTube channel of Rediff Originals, Devashish has spoken about struggling to pay rent, financial losses, and debt following the release of his films.
Arrived in Mumbai With Rs 700
Devashish said he came to Mumbai from Kolkata in the 1990s with just Rs 700 and no contacts in the film industry. With nowhere to stay, he spent three nights sleeping at Goregaon railway station.
He later found a directory containing film directors’ contact numbers and began making calls from public telephones. He eventually connected with Anurag Kashyap, who gave him an opportunity to work on Black Friday. Devashish helped with research and script structure before later assisting Shaad Ali on Bunty Aur Babli.
Signed A Three-Film Deal With YRF
While working on Bunty Aur Babli, Devashish became friends with writer Jaideep Sahni, which eventually led to a three-film deal with YRF and Aditya Chopra.
The first project was planned as an animated film under YRF’s collaboration with Walt Disney. However, after Roadside Romeo failed to perform well, Devashish’s project was shelved. He had already spent three years working on it. “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.
Walked Away After Losing Three Years
Following the project’s shelving, Devashish walked away from his YRF deal to pursue other stories. However, he continued questioning his decision for years.
He later travelled across Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Chhattisgarh to research stories involving Adivasi communities. The research eventually contributed to the making of Joram, starring Manoj Bajpayee.
Questioned His Decision for Years
The filmmaker said walking away from YRF continued to bother him for years. He often wondered whether he had made the right decision. “It bothered me for a couple of years because I didn’t expect that after walking away, my films won’t get made,” he added.
It was only around a decade after leaving YRF that his first film, Ajji, was made and released in 2017.
Struggled To Pay Rent And Went ‘Bankrupt’
In a 2024 interview, Devashish revealed that he had struggled to pay his rent for nearly five months and described himself as “bankrupt” following the release of Joram. He said the film, made on a budget of Rs 1 crore, earned around Rs 16 lakh. He said that despite being over 40, he could not even afford to buy a bicycle.
Gandhari Was Also Nearly Shelved
Devashish also revealed that his latest film Gandhari came close to being shelved several times during its preparation stage. In an interview with The Indian Express in 2025, he said the team repeatedly had to reduce the budget and number of shooting days, while several members of the production team left the project.
Gandhari, starring Taapsee Pannu and Ishwak Singh, was written by Kanika Dhillon.
