A veteran filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt has officially banned the return of the director’s chair to film, ending years of speculation about another return. Although he briefly returned to direct “Sadak 2” in 2020 after spending years focusing on production, the filmmaker has made it clear that he has no plans to direct another movie.In a recent interview with Hindustan Times, the 77-year-old filmmaker was asked if audiences can expect him to direct again. Bhatt responded firmly, saying, “No,” before adding, “It’s fun to talk about movies so quickly.” His words come after he has just finished making films Vikram Bhatt spoke about Mahesh Bhatt’s resignation from directing. Although he has retired from directing, Bhatt is still active in cinema as a producer, writer and presenter.Reflecting on the current state of filmmaking, Bhatt spoke about the importance of creative freedom and cautioned against a system where creativity is driven by formulas rather than instinct. “Where there’s life, there’s energy,” he said, before questioning the growing tendency to make movies based on pre-planned plans.“There is a caveat when things are dictated to you. And then, when you have to create things according to some predetermined design, then what is the artist’s job?” he said.Bhatt also expressed concern over companies becoming increasingly involved in algorithms and data-driven decisions. Despite this, he still believes that the introduction will continue to challenge the status quo.“There will always be someone out there, a brave person who will be the new Pied Piper,” he said. During the interview, Bhatt also praised Imtiaz Ali’s ‘Main Vaapas Aaunga’, describing it as an important piece of creative work. According to him, the film shows a much-needed artistic rebellion at a time when the narrative is often made by commercial calculations.“I see this as a moment of rebellion,” Bhatt said. He also said: “When you put your heart into it and listen to the heartbeat of that time, you see a desire, a thirst in people for something difficult and painful that connects to their lives. No matter how dark the night is, there will be rebels, there will be rebels who will come to write the story again.”Even though Mahesh Bhatt has pulled the curtain on his career as a film director, he continues to be involved in other projects. He was recently announced as the host of ‘Naam’, which is being touted as a sequel to his 1986 hit film of the same name.During his career, Bhatt directed many popular films, including ‘Arth’, ‘Saaransh’, ‘Naam’, ‘Daddy’, ‘Aashiqui’, ‘Sadak’, ‘Zakhm’ and ‘Duplicate’. His work has consistently explored themes of love, loss, emotional turmoil, rebellion and human relationships.Although Bhatt may no longer be directing films, his approach to films and art continues to inspire discussion within the industry.