For Madhur Bhandarkar, it was not just a professional jolt but also an emotional setback when Ashutosh Gowariker publicly challenged Priyanka Chopra's win as the Best Female Actor at IIFA. That's because people in question were those who have been his friends over the years.

"Ashu has been my friend for such a long time that I don't even remember since when. We have been like a family. On the other hand, Priyanka too is not just a professional acquaintance after ‘Fashion’. We are good friends and I have to stand by her first as a friend and then as a professional. It leaves a bad taste in the mouth when someone challenges the entire honor that she is getting internationally", reacts Madhur, though in a guarded tone as he is busy accumulating accolades in Moscow, a place where Hindi movies used to be a regular a few decades back.

"Well, response to ‘Fashion’ at the Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF) should have us filmmakers rethink about considering this to be a major territory for Bollywood films", says Madhur from Moscow, "A 250 strong audience loved the film when it was screened at October multiplex. It was a full house and people were willing to sit on aisles. Comprising of 'aam junta' and some film critics, audiences were in awe of the clothes being worn."

Madhur also comments that language was not an issue since the auditorium also had the facility of an interpreter who explained the scenes as they moved in their native language.

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