Rohit Jugraj Chauhan
's 'Sardaarji' is one of the biggest hits in Punjabi cinema. The director, who is now awaiting the release of its sequel '
Sardaarji
2', started his career as an assistant director in Hindi films to the likes of
Sanjay Leela Bhansali and
Ram Gopal Varma. Chauhan says the only reason he left for Punjabi cinema is because Bollywood did not let me tell the stories in the way he wanted to.
In a report on IndianExpress.com, the filmmaker was quoted as saying, 'It was as simple as this that I wasn't getting to say my stories here in Bollywood. It's not that I'd say that I had a lot of work and left that to step into Punjabi film industry. They were just not letting me say my stories my way and I had found my roots back to my culture, my language and they let me say it my way. I wandered back to my 'pind'.'
Chauhan, however, clarifies that even though he will stick to his roots and pind, he does not want to limit himself to Punjabi cinema only. 'I will always say, that Punjabi cinema will always stay close to my heart. Even after I start making Bollywood films, let's say that Punjabi cinema is something I would keep doing. What I have learnt from Punjabi cinema is that it is about story telling. The language doesn't really matter. So, whether I do a Hindi film, a Tamil or a Telugu movie, I will do it with the same fervor and same zest,' he said.