In an industry that thrives on validation and pliability, filmmaker and screenwriter Anant Mahadevan has survived, with scars and lessons. Speaking to ETimes, the veteran revealed how emotional burnout and anxiety crept into his life not because of creative failure, but due to deliberate sabotage. ‘I was deliberately sidelined by those who hated my drive’“Anxiety, criticism, et al. tend to cripple one, even as the efforts are directed at raising the bar and being true to the craft,” he said. “Being deliberately sidelined was, for a long period, demoralizing — but then I realised this was being done by those who probably hated my drive to create what they wanted. By those who hated that I wasn’t dependent on sucking up to them — be it the media or makers whose egos were punctured.”‘This industry psyches creative minds, belittles their products’Having worked across genres and languages, Mahadevan shared that surviving in showbiz requires not just talent, but tremendous emotional resilience. “It is important not to feel ostracised by power-wielding showbiz names and to stick to one’s convictions with a clear focus,” he said.“This industry tends to psyche studious, creative minds and belittle their products. Initially, you are hit by depression, but then you must have the energy to see through them. Reinforcing faith in oneself and being confident in one’s potential shields your mind from damage.”‘There was a concerted effort to destroy Dil Maange More, Shahid and me’
The filmmaker, who helmed the 2004 romantic drama Dil Maange More starring Shahid Kapoor, Ayesha Takia, Soha Ali Khan and Tulip Joshi, revealed how he faced pushback that felt almost personal. “When I made Dil Maange More, there was a concerted effort to destroy me, the film, and Shahid Kapoor,” he said. Years later, the pattern seemed to repeat itself. “When The Storyteller became critically acclaimed and an audience favourite, there were certain segments of the media and filmmakers who gave it the royal ignore. One critic came all the way to the Kerala Film Festival to run down the film and even reposted her review when the film was released. But now they have all become blatantly obvious in their prejudice. Though delayed, I have overcome such targeted attacks and steadied myself to carry on regardless.”
‘No amount of despair is worth it — they only gloat in their ego cocoons’Looking back at the mental and emotional cost of being an independent voice in a tightly-knit industry, Mahadevan believes survival is an art that must be honed. “The years of such rigmarole have taught me to be a survivor — that no amount of stress and despair is worth it. It only makes those who snub you gloat in their ego cocoons.”And his advice to young creatives is both battle-tested and brutally honest. “So, master your craft and pride yourself on your abilities, rather than fall prey to man-made anxieties and blackmail.”
