The bitter story behind Section 375, when the director had to face the whims of a superstar

News India Live, Digital Desk: The year 2025 is now coming to an end, but some old wounds have become fresh again in the corridors of Bollywood. ‘Section 375’ was a film which is still counted among the best courtroom drama films of Hindi cinema. Akshay Khanna’s strong acting gave it height, but the real ‘story’ of this film is hidden in what happened to Manish Gupta, who worked behind it.

Manish Gupta, who wrote the brilliant film ‘Sarkar’, has narrated his story in an interview which exposes the dark truth of film making.

Shooting stopped for 6 months?

According to Manish Gupta, the film started with the promise of everything going right, but soon Akshaye Khanna’s behavior made things difficult. Manish alleges that Akshay violated the contract and stopped the shooting of the film for about 6 months. Making a film is like raising a child for a writer and director, and when work gets stuck like this, everything from budget to mental peace is at stake.

‘My child, someone else’s name’

The most shocking revelation came when Manish told that Akshay Khanna’s alleged ‘interference’ had increased so much that ultimately he was thrown out of that film. Manish was the one who wrote the script of ‘Section 375’ after years of research. But when the film went on floors, Ajay Bahl was brought in as the director and Manish’s credits were also very limited.

Ego clash or chronic disease of Bollywood?

It is often seen in Bollywood that when an established actor joins a film, he is not limited to acting only. Sometimes changes in the script, sometimes advice to change the director – these things spoil the structure of a film. Manish Gupta claims that his only ‘mistake’ was that he did not bow down to all the absurd demands of Akshay Khanna, due to which he had to suffer the consequences.

The film was a hit, but what about the artist?

‘Section 375’ received a lot of praise from critics and audiences, but behind this success lies Manish Gupta’s mental anguish during those 6 months. It is the biggest sorrow for a creative person that his work is appreciated but he does not get the rights he deserves.