'It Was A Nightmare': Rahul Dholakia Filmed SRK Starrer Raees While His Mother Was In ICU

Rahul Dholakia, director of "Raees" and "Parzania," revealed the immense personal and professional stress he faced while filming, including health issues and his mother's ICU stay.

Rahul Dholakia, director of "Raees" and "Parzania," revealed the immense personal and professional stress he faced while filming.

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Bollywood filmmaker Rahul Dholakia, best known for his National Award-winning film Parzania and Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Raees, has spoken candidly about the mental health challenges faced in the film industry.

In a conversation with The Times of India, Rahul recalled the immense personal struggles he endured while making films, including shooting Raees while his mother was in the ICU.

“It Was a Nightmare”: Raees Director Rahul Dholakia

Sharing the emotional turmoil he went through, Rahul revealed how his personal life clashed with his professional commitments.

"My mom was in the ICU, I was suffering from chronic pain... but I couldn’t take off. SRK was on set, and I had to shoot. I would stay with my mom at the hospital at night, then come to set and pretend everything was normal. It was a nightmare — but you can’t bring your problems on set," he said.

The filmmaker also detailed how the stress of filmmaking has affected his health over the years, leading to diabetes, blood pressure issues, and even a heart attack.

Mental Health Remains a Taboo in the Film Industry

Rahul also shed light on the stigma around mental health in Bollywood.

"Our industry is such a performance-driven industry that people are afraid to say they’re not well. There’s always a fear of being dropped. No one wants to look weak. That’s a big problem, it’s always do or die," he stated.

Rahul Dholakia’s Journey

Rahul began his career with documentaries and commercials and even ran TV Asia for some time. His Bollywood debut came in 2002 with Kehtaa Hai Dil Baar Baar. He followed it up with Parzania (2005), based on the tragic real-life story of a boy who went missing during the 2002 Gulbarg Society massacre — a film that won him the National Award for Best Director.

In 2017, he directed Raees, starring Shah Rukh Khan, Mahira Khan, and Nawazuddin Siddiqui, which went on to gross ₹281.45 crore worldwide despite mixed reviews. His latest release, Agni, featuring Pratik Gandhi, Divyenndu, Jitendra Joshi, Saiyami Kher, and Kabir Shah, is currently streaming on Prime Video.