What makes a movie a hit — the box-office reports, the critics’ raving praises, or the masses that throng cinema halls? Filmmaker Milap Zaveri seems to have both the numbers and the people on his side. His film Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, reportedly made on a shoestring budget of Rs 25 crore, may have opened to mixed responses, but the audience gave it a thumbs up, minting over Rs 75 crore within 23 days of its release.
“It was that dark horse that nobody saw coming. It’s become the third biggest hit of the year after Chhaava and Saiyaara,” he smiles.
(L-R) Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa in ‘Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat’
While Ek Deewane Ki Deewaniyat, starring Harshvardhan Rane and Sonam Bajwa, resonated strongly across Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, it also sparked debate for allegedly glorifying toxicity. Unfazed, Zaveri says his films are only “meant for entertainment and not [to give] a social message.” He adds, “If you’ve seen Deewaniyat, the so-called toxicity isn’t rewarded. Harsh’s character had vulnerability and depth — that’s why people connected with him. Full credit goes to Harsh for that.” Having observed the reactions to Kabir Singh (2019) and Animal (2023), Zaveri believes there is a market for such love stories.
Aiming for front-bench energy in his films, the director is known to layer his movies with punchy dialogues. “When people clap or whistle, that’s my adrenaline. It’s the spinach to my Popeye,” he laughs. Addressing the controversy around the now-viral line from the film, where Bajwa’s character boldly declares that she would sleep with whoever kills Harsh’s character, he explains, “That line was the reason the film got made. It symbolised her strength and desperation in that moment. A woman’s beauty can also be her power — that’s what I wanted to show.”
Now, he has trained his eyes on his next entertainer, Mastiii 4. “Whether you’re 20 or 60 years old, anything that makes people laugh, especially with great music and a bit of naughty humour, will always connect. Mastiii 4 brings back that same madness, energy, and star power that audiences have loved through the years. If, for two hours and fifteen minutes, they forget the world and walk out smiling — that’s all the message I need.”