He could well be termed as one of the pioneers of the Bollywood 'New Age Cinema' in the new millennium with his films like 'Chandni Bar', 'Satta', 'Page 3' and 'Corporate' reflecting a 'slice of life' and, at the same time, incorporating elements of commercial cinema.

His critics may dismiss him as a filmmaker for the classes but two-time National Award winner Madhur Bhandarkar insists that his films are meant for all kinds of audiences be it the masses or the classes.

''While it is true that all my films, from 'Chandni Bar' to 'Satta' to 'Page 3' to 'Corporate' have been drawn from real life, I have, at the same time, taken care to add a lot of fiction to the storylines in a bid to add a commercial touch to the real life stories.

''Viewed in this context, I would say that my films are not meant merely for a particular section of the audience but are rather targeted at a universal audience,''Madhur told UNI in an interview on the eve of the release of his forthcoming film 'Traffic Signal.''

Like 'Page 3' and 'Corporate', 'Traffic Signal', which releases across the World on February 2, too interweaves real life sequences with Bollywood masala elements to lend a commercial feel to the film.

''For example, the film has three songs, one of which sung by singer Vaishali Samant is already on the top of the popularity charts. Similarly, I have added other fictional elements in the film to give it a commercial flavour,''Madhur said.

Madhur said that as filmmaker, he looked forward to box office success as much as critical acclaim for his cinematic ventures.

''It is heartening to receive critical acclaim for one's films.

Infact, I am happy to have been recognized by the industry and the audience as a good filmmaker who has made films on a wide variety of subjects.At the same time, box office success is also important in that it helps you to carry on with the show later on. So there could be no greater reward for any filmmaker than to get both box office success as well as critical acclaim for his films,''he said.

''In any case, all my movies are made within a stipulated budget to ensure that the producers are at least able to break-even, even if the response to the film is not encouraging,''he said.

'Traffic Signal', featuring upcoming actors Kunal Khemu and Neetu Chandra in the lead roles and others like Konkona Sen Sharma and Ranvir Shorey in key roles, is the third in the trilogy of films by Madhur, after 'Page3' and 'Corporate', dealing with life in different rungs of society in a city.