Gaurang Doshi's big-budget prisoner of war thriller Deewaar: Let's Bring Our Heroes Home flopped in spite of a heavyweight cast with Amitabh Bachchan, Sanjay Dutt, Akshaye Khanna and Kay Kay Menon.
Then the producer's marriage went kaput, under a cloud of unsavoury accusations from his wife.
But Doshi, the producer of such films as Aankhen, is ready to bounce back. "I can't allow my life to be ruled by calamities. I have to ride them," he says.
"Thank God for Bachchan saab. When s**t happened in my life, he was the first to call and reassure me. I worship that man, and I cannot make a film without him."
Therefore, it's no surprise that Bachchan will star in Doshi's new project. "It's a very stylish thriller to be directed by Shriram Raghvan, who made Ek Hasina Thi."
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Shriram's brother Shridhar had scripted Doshi's Deewaar. "And that's a film I'm very proud of. Contrary to (people's) belief, it didn't flop. It did well enough to make a small profit," says the producer.
"I am now into my new project with Bachchan saab and John Abraham. I'm very impressed by Shriram's capabilities. After this, I plan to produce another film directed by Shriram, this time a multi-starrer. Of course, with Mr Bachchan in it."
The surprise package in Doshi's new film is an item song featuring two European beauty queens dancing to a tune composed by Vishal-Shekhar (of Jhankar Beats fame).
"When I was contacted on behalf of these ladies, I immediately grabbed the chance," says Doshi.
"To have two international beauties dancing in my film is preferable to the same tired item girls we see in our films."
Deewaar had an item song by a bevy of Middle Eastern girls.
Is Hindi cinema going seriously international? "Only for fringe thrills," grins Doshi.
"As long as we have a star like Amitabh Bachchan, we don't really need international stars to contribute to our cinema."