Rakeysh Omprakash on battling alcoholism after Delhi 6 debacle: I just wanted to...

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra hit a rough patch in life after his film Delhi 6 (2009) received poor reviews and failed at the box office. In a recent interview, Mehra opened up about the phase and said stuck in a "black hole."

3 things you need to know

• Delhi 6 starred Abhishek Bachchan and Sonam Kapoor in lead roles.
• After the failure of the film, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra made a comeback with Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.

I went deep into alcholism: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Following a decent first weekend, Delhi 6 quickly tanked at the box office. In an interview with Rahman Music Sheets, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra revealed that he resorted to alcoholism after this. The phase lasted for about six months. He further shared that he felt a deep spasm and a sense of being lost. However, one morning he woke up and realised he needed to take action and not wallow in despair like the character Devdas. 

(Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra was heartbroken after Delhi-6's failure at the box office | (Image: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra/Instagram)

"There was a heartbreak, I went deep into alcoholism, for almost six month or so. I just wanted to sleep and not get up. It was like a black hole. Then one morning I woke up and realised that I got to do something about it, that I can’t just get into a Devdas mode,” he said.

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra on finding closure

Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra continued that he decided to rework the film by shooting additional scenes. He reached out to his cinematographer Binodh Pradhan. They worked together for three days to create a different beginning and ending for Delhi 6. This revised version of the film was then sent to the Venice Film Festival in Europe which provided a sense of closure and healing for Mehra. However, he stated that the story of the film still continues.

(Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra and Sonam Kapoor get clicked while discussing script of Delhi-6 | Image: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra/Instagram)

Will the new version of Delhi-6 be released on OTT?

When asked about releasing the new version of Delhi 6 on an OTT platform, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra expressed uncertainty and questioned whether viewers were ready to accept something new. He explained that releasing the film is not solely in his hands and would require the universe to conspire. However, he expressed his desire to share it in the near future, as he believes there is a section of viewers who  will now find the film more relevant than ever.

Despite Delhi-6 being a box office failure, Mehra made a successful comeback with the biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, starring Farhan Akhtar. The film, based on the life of Olympian Milkha Singh, received critical acclaim and emerged as a commercial success.