Rahul Dholakia opens up on battling a heart attack, shot Shah Rukh Khan's Raees while his mom was in the ICU: 'Don't let alcohol or smokes or any substance dictate you'

Time of India

a day ago

In an industry obsessed with box office numbers and back-to-back announcements, few dare to pause and speak about the toll it takes. Director
, who is best known for Raees, Lamhaa and the National Award-winning Parzania, admits that mental and physical health have often been collateral damage in his filmmaking journey.
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'I've had diabetes after one film, blood pressure after another, and a heart attack after one more,' he shared with ETimes, recounting the physical consequences of an unrelenting career that's more chaos than comfort.
'Forget your personal problems — that's the job'
Dholakia reveals how the stress of filmmaking doesn't end with the logistics of the shoot. 'We have to deal with so many egos, tantrums and power games even while making the film.
Stress of making the film is understandable — but stress of handling cast, crew, producers and stars is just another ball game.'
He particularly recalls the emotionally draining first schedule of Raees, starring
. 'My mom was in the ICU, I was suffering from chronic pain... but I couldn't take off.
was on set, and I had to shoot. I would stay with my mom at the hospital at night, then come to set and pretend everything was normal.
It was a nightmare — but you can't bring your problems on set.'
'I sleep. Or I watch Rocky'
When it gets too much, Dholakia turns to comfort — and movies. 'Whenever I feel low or depressed, I do two things: watch movies like Rocky, Legally Blonde, My Cousin Vinny… or I just sleep. I take one day at a time.'
He adds that the quiet company of loved ones helps too. 'My mom and sister — when they are around — give me comfort. Or I visit a couple of close friends.
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We don't have to talk about feeling low. We just hang. Be normal.'
Amid the boycott trend, Rahul Dholakia points out suggestions for his Bollywood friends on how to make good movies
'People are afraid to say they're unwell'
Mental health conversations may be growing in Bollywood, but Dholakia doesn't think the stigma is gone — especially on film sets. 'Our industry is such a performance-driven industry that people are afraid to say they're not well. There's always a fear of being dropped. No one wants to look weak. That's a big problem — it's always do or die.'
His advice to younger artists: 'Your life is yours. Don't let anyone take it away from you. If you feel low, don't feel shy to take help — you have to look after yourself.'
'Don't let alcohol or smokes dictate you'
Looking back, Dholakia shares a rare note of regret. 'If I could tell my younger self one thing, I'd say — don't let alcohol or smokes or any substance dictate you. Face the problems. Deal with them.'