He was the most-wanted director of 2005 -- in a good way, that is.
That was when Bunty Aur Babli became a hit.
But after the disaster that was Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, director Shaad Ali virtually went into hiding.
Around the same time, his marriage broke up.
The filmmaker -- son of Muzaffar Ali (of Rekha's Umrao Jaan) and protege to Mani Ratnam --
Shaad, who dislikes being photographed, brushed off photographers when they spotted him.
Earlier too he had behaved the same way when Bunty And Babli became a big hit.
Who knows if this aversion to having his picture taken is shyness, arrogance or just dislike for lensmen.
Text: Gullu Gupshup | Photograph: Pradeep Bhandekar