'Gulab Gang' failure not a setback: Soumik Sen

New Delhi: Sounmik Sen's directorial debut 'Gulab Gang' failed at the box office, despite featuring Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla in lead roles, but the helmer considers the film a landmark in his career.

Soumik says the film, about a team of women working towards justice for oppressed and abused women in a village, was an "experiment" in itself, and he is happy with the accolades that came his way post the release.

"It didn't do well in terms of box office collection. But it was a rural film, an experimental project. How many films get made in a complete rural setting in Bollywood? But no, it was definitely not a setback.

"It gave me more respect, more accolade. It is a landmark film for me. I don't know when I will ever get to work with actors of suchcalibre," Soumik told PTI.

He has made his small screen directorial debut with the maiden episode of new horror TV show "Darr Sabko Lagta Hai".

Soumik said he was inspired by "Monihaar", which was a part of Satyajit Ray's Bengali anthology film "Teen Kanya", for the episode.

"I didn't have a horror script. I didn't have any story. My favourite horror film is 'Monihaar', which is part of Ray's 'Teen Kanya'. I took inspiration from there to work on this episode. I think that is the ultimate horror film I have seen. in terms of craft, casting, characterisation."

Soumik, who has written the screenplay for films like "Anthony Kaun Hai?", "Ru-Ba-Ru", "Meerabai Not Out" and "Hum Tum Aur Ghost", is currently busy with finalising the script of a biopic on magician PC Sorcar, "1911", and a love story.

"I am writing these few things. I am trying to work it all out, Besides that I recently acted in Rohan Sippy's web series 'Side Hero', which was quite fun," he said.