Stories talk to you, they don't leave you, says Mudassar Aziz

Mudassar Aziz believes that story is the most important aspect of filmmaking and directors should only make films when they have a good script.

Six years after he made his directorial debut with passable "Dulha Mil Gaya", featuring Shah Rukh Khan, Sushmita Sen, and Fardeen Khan, Aziz won over the critics and audiences with his 2016 film "Happy Bhag Jayegi".

Now, Aziz is gearing up for the release of its sequel, "Happy Phir Bhag Jayegi", which will hit the theatres on August 24.

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"Stories talk to you, they are living things, they are not dead things. They create a stir in your life, they don't leave you. That's when you should make a film. Don't make a film because you have to make a film," Aziz told PTI.

Money was never a motivator for Aziz, who dropped out of engineering college in the final year to fulfill his dream of making films.

"...We land up reaching a certain stage in our life where bills will get paid, coffee will be affordable, let that not become the reason to make a film.

"This is something that the failure of my first film taught me, that a film should be made only when you have a story within you to tell," Aziz said.

The failure of his first film made him realise that the "onus of a flop" often lands on a director's head.

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"Failure is met with a certain amount of struggle. When a film works then it is said it worked because of the stars or the timing was right and if it did not do well then it is because of the director. I am not from the film industry, I had nothing to fall back on."

Having seen the failure with his first film itself, Aziz says he only learned to narrate stories that come straight from his heart.

"Maybe if I would have seen success with my first film I could have become dishonest to my craft. I realized the importance of remaining true to my craft.

"Whatever be the reasons for the first film to not do well I know how to work and grow as a filmmaker and keep a certain relationship with my audience alive. The failure came with its fair share of struggle but there was also learning."