Once considered one of Bollywood’s brightest directorial talents after his debut hit Dostana in 2008, Tarun Mansukhani seemed to disappear from the filmmaking scene without a trace. After over a decade-long lull and only one release (Drive, 2019), he’s finally returned to helm the much-anticipated Housefull 5. In a recent candid conversation, Mansukhani broke his silence and revealed the deeply personal reason behind his absence—his painful and expensive divorce from ex-wife Karuna.
“It wasn’t pleasant, and it was very expensive,” he admitted. “I wasn’t in the right bandwidth to make films. I didn’t want to create anything from a place of fear or financial desperation.” Despite the massive opportunities that Dostana had unlocked, he chose not to compromise his creative integrity. Tarun went on to express that making films, for him, is a joyful process—one he didn’t want to taint with emotional baggage or economic pressure.
Today, his comeback with Housefull 5—a multi-starrer that includes Akshay Kumar, Riteish Deshmukh, Abhishek Bachchan, and more—has already proven fruitful, grossing over ₹220 crore globally. His journey serves as a reminder that sometimes stepping away to heal is the first step toward a stronger return.
