Gurmeet Singh on Being a Good or Successful Filmmaker: ‘I Want Whatever We Do Next to Come From a Fresh Direction’

Riding high on the success of Mirzapur, filmmaker Gurmeet Singh opened up about his journey, the pressure of success and what he really wants to achieve with his work. In an exclusive conversation, Gurmeet was asked a question many filmmakers eventually face: does he personally want to be a good filmmaker or a successful filmmaker? Rather than choosing one over the other, the director explained why he sees filmmaking as a constantly evolving process where craft, audience response, success and failure can all mean different things.

Speaking about the difference between becoming a better filmmaker and becoming a successful one, Gurmeet said, “It’s about constantly improving one's craft versus becoming a successful filmmaker. Look, these are very subjective matters. People say that if a story is good, it works; but there has to be someone to decide what constitutes a 'good' story.” He went on to point out that everything in films, shows and media is subjective, and even those definitions can change with time. For Gurmeet, growing as a person is closely connected to growing as a filmmaker, which is why every new project should come with the willingness to challenge oneself rather than simply repeat what worked before.

The filmmaker also revealed that he wants his upcoming work to move away from the comfort zone created by previous successes. “I want whatever we do next to come not from a 'safe space' or the baggage of past work, but from a fresh direction—avoiding old mistakes and perhaps making new ones instead,” Gurmeet said. For him, that willingness to experiment is part of the journey. He also stressed that success and failure cannot always be measured by box-office numbers alone. A film may not succeed commercially but can still be deeply appreciated by audiences, sometimes years later, while a box-office hit may not necessarily leave the same emotional impact. “If the process is enjoyable, the result matters less,” he added, reflecting on the importance of staying committed to the creative process.

Gurmeet also credited veteran actor Pankaj Kapur for teaching the team an important lesson about handling success and failure with balance. “You’ll hear Pankaj-ji say in his interviews that he doesn't get overly elated by success or devastated by failure; he tries to maintain a balanced state of mind. He has taught us this lesson, and we try to follow it too,” he said. The filmmaker believes that the real focus should remain on continuing to create, learn and move forward rather than getting consumed by the highs and lows that come with every release.

The conversation also turned to the extraordinary fan following of Mirzapur and when Gurmeet first understood just how big the show's audience had become. According to him, the realization happened gradually after the series launched in 2018. “After Season 1, we thought nothing could top that. Then Season 2 arrived, and we were amazed—'Wow, look at all these people! So many are watching, so many know us.' Then came Season 3, and the fan base expanded even further,” he recalled. Even after the success of the series, the team wondered whether the same passionate audience would turn up in cinemas for Mirzapur: The Movie. That doubt disappeared when they finally witnessed audiences cheering and hooting inside theatres.

For Gurmeet, the relationship with the Mirzapur audience continues to be something of a discovery. “For us, it’s a new discovery every time; we are constantly surprised by the magnitude of the Mirzapur fandom. No matter how much we thank the fans, it simply isn't enough,” he said. From the show's first season to its subsequent chapters and finally its theatrical outing, the filmmaker has watched the fandom grow into a phenomenon that continues to surprise the team. And as Gurmeet looks ahead, his comments suggest that despite the success behind him, the bigger challenge is still to keep evolving, take fresh creative risks and find the next story that pushes him further as a filmmaker.