Tarun Mansukhani Reveals Why He Took A Break After Dostana: 'My Divorce Changed...'
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Tarun Mansukhani opens up about taking a break from films after Dostana, revealing his divorce was "expensive" and left him unable to focus on directing.
Tarun Mansukhani made a memorable Bollywood debut with Dostana in 2008—a vibrant, genre-bending hit that starred Abhishek Bachchan, John Abraham, and Priyanka Chopra. With its success at the box office and pop culture impact, expectations were high for his next directorial venture. But instead of riding the wave, Tarun stepped away from the spotlight, vanishing from the director's chair for over a decade.
It wasn't until 2019 that he returned to helm Drive, a Netflix release starring Sushant Singh Rajput and Jacqueline Fernandez. The gap between his first and second films raised eyebrows—but now, Tarun is speaking candidly about what kept him away from filmmaking.
In a recent interview with Just Too Filmy, the director revealed that the hiatus was due to a deeply personal and financially draining chapter in his life: a difficult divorce.
'A lot happened in life," Tarun shared. 'I went through a divorce. It wasn't a pleasant one. It was an expensive one for me, and life just took its own turns. I was not in a bandwidth or headspace to make a film."
Tarun explained that he didn't want to approach his work from a place of desperation. 'I knew I was in debt, and I needed to sort that out. I didn't want to make a film just because I needed the money. The moment I do that, I know everything I do will be tainted by that. I'd be making a film out of fear. I wouldn't be fun to work with on set either. So, what's the point?"
Instead, he focused on rebuilding. 'I did everything else I could to pay off that debt. Once I had cleared everything, only then did I start developing a new film."
Tarun was previously married to Karuna, and the couple parted ways in 2014 after nine years of marriage.
Now back in action, Mansukhani's latest directorial effort, Housefull 5, has hit theatres and is showing decent traction at the box office. In just 10 days, the comedy has raked in ₹154.25 crore. However, with a reported budget of ₹225 crore, the film still has ground to cover before it can be officially declared a hit.
First Published:
June 16, 2025, 18:55 IST
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