Filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri has opened up about the behind-the-scenes drama of his 2007 sports drama Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, revealing how a mix of personal conflicts, creative clashes, and casting challenges made the film’s journey turbulent. From tensions with Anurag Kashyap to John Abraham and Bipasha Basu’s breakup during the shoot, Vivek didn’t hold back as he revisited the hurdles that plagued the project—while also taking pointed digs at the Bollywood system and its over-reliance on star power.When asked by Dainik Bhaskar about what went wrong with Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, Vivek pointed to a lack of clarity around creative roles. He claimed that UTV, the film’s producers, didn’t fully recognize him as the writer, and that their team seemed more taken with Anurag Kashyap, despite it not being Anurag’s project from the start. Vivek also suggested that Anurag was dealing with personal issues at the time and mentioned that writing had been underway in India for over a year before the film was shot in London.The filmmaker explained that John Abraham joined Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal primarily because of Anurag Kashyap, and throughout the project, John only discussed the script with Anurag, not with him. He also said that even UTV executives preferred communicating with Anurag. However, Vivek claimed that the writing team failed to deliver, prompting him to bring in someone else to rewrite and properly format the script, which he felt lacked structure. Despite the issues, he emphasized that he still holds respect for both Anurag and Vikramaditya Motwane as writers.He also took a dig at Anurag Kashyap, claiming that one of his biggest issues is that he talks excessively and often says things he doesn’t remember later, especially when under the influence. He alleged that Anurag has apologized to him multiple times in the past and suggested that while both of them speak their truths, Anurag tends to retract his words later with an apology.Vivek reflected on Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, noting that although the film was well-received in 2007 and had popular music, it was plagued with challenges. He revealed that John Abraham and Bipasha Basu’s breakup during the shoot made things especially tough for him. Without directly naming John, Vivek criticized the film industry’s stardom-driven system, implying frustration with actors influencing key decisions despite what he called their limited competence—ranging from marketing to poster placements.The director further shared that John Abraham was cast in Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal largely because of his image as a football enthusiast, which everyone thought made him a natural fit for the role. While Vivek had no objection to John’s casting, he noted that during the shoot, actors like Arshad Warsi and Raj Zutshi had visibly improved their football skills thanks to extensive training—something he felt John lacked. As a result, many of John’s football scenes had to be filmed by separately capturing his face and feet to make the action look convincing.He also criticized actors who ask for their dialogues to be shortened, questioning why they accept high fees if they can’t deliver basic performance requirements like speaking a few lines fluently. He argued that producers should reconsider paying crores to actors who fail to bring real value to a project.Vivek Agnihotri is currently promoting his next film The Bengal Files.
