Filmmaker Vikram Bhatt has opened up about his harrowing 70-day stint in jail, revealing that his health deteriorated so badly he feared for his life. In a candid interview, Bhatt detailed the physical suffering, the unexpected kindness from fellow inmates, and his honest take on who in Bollywood did—and didn’t—check on him.
“I Almost Died There in Jail”
Bhatt, who was arrested alongside his wife Shwetambari in December 2025 in connection with a ₹30 crore fraud case, said the experience pushed him to the brink. The filmmaker suffers from axial spondyloarthritis, an autoimmune condition causing chronic joint and muscle pain. Sleeping on a mat on the floor during the cold winter months only made things worse.
“I almost died there in jail,” Bhatt said in an interview with Siddharth Kannan. “I have pain in my joints and muscles, and there you have to sleep on a mat on the floor. It was December and January, and it was extremely cold.”
His condition worsened when he contracted jaundice while in custody. Bhatt claimed that despite repeatedly asking authorities to take him to a hospital, the response was always delayed. “At night, I would get such high fever from the cold that the people in my barrack would give me their blankets. Even then, I would keep shivering. I told the authorities to take me to a hospital. They would say, ‘Tomorrow’ or ‘The day after.’”
Eventually convinced that medical help wasn’t coming, Bhatt took matters into his own hands. He stopped eating oily food, survived on gram, water, and fruits, and relied on prayer to recover.
“They Called Me Bhishma Pitamah”
Despite the grim circumstances, Bhatt spoke of an unexpected warmth from his fellow inmates. Sharing a barrack with 60 to 80 people, he said the prisoners treated him with surprising care and respect.
“They wouldn’t let me do anything. They would bring me my food and take care of my clothes,” Bhatt recalled. “They used to call me Bhishma Pitamah. They would say, ‘Pitamah, just sit here and tell us a horror story.’ Every night, around 60 to 65 people would gather and ask me to narrate stories.”
For Bhatt, these interactions became a valuable lens into the real India—the audience that watches his films. “It was like a refresher course for me, understanding how they think, what they believe in, and even how they react to ghost stories. These are the people who go to the theatres and watch our movies,” he said.
He also praised the jail authorities and constables for their support during his illness. “People whom you might not expect to be kind were actually the kindest. I made some friends there for life because they protected me with their lives.”
Bollywood Calls: Mithun Checked In, But Akshay Didn’t
After his release, Bhatt received calls from several industry figures. He mentioned that Mithun Chakraborty reached out, as did Sanjay Dutt and Ajay Devgn—the latter being a childhood friend.
“Mithun da called me up, some people did call me. Sanjay Dutt called me even though I have never worked with him. I thanked him for it,” Bhatt said.
When asked about Akshay Kumar, with whom Bhatt has collaborated professionally, the filmmaker was characteristically blunt. Bhatt suggested they were not close enough for a call, questioning why Akshay would reach out. He added that not everyone can be expected to behave the same way, noting that his bond with Ajay Devgn is different because of their long history.
“Why would he call me? He is not my friend,” Bhatt said, adding that every relationship is different and it’s not logical to impose the same expectations on everyone.