Director J P Dutta couldn't have foreseen the cold reception that awaited his last film, LOC. The star-studded war epic failed to live up to box office expectations, and the sensitive JP withdrew into his shell.

"More like shell-shock," he chuckles, back in Mumbai after a long hiatus. "Yes, it has been long. I was in London with my family, mulling over my career and whether I want to continue making films within Bollywood's stagnant and self-defeating atmosphere.

For a long time, I seriously thought I couldn't make films here any longer. But now I'm back."

Dutta's has big plans for the future. "The sheer size of my projects has always been problematic for the market. Looking at the way the film market is, I wonder if an across-the-board success like Border is possible any more.

My fear is, it isn't. Too many niche films are being made. I can't make a film for any specific section of the audience and forget the rest."

So after LOC, considered to be the grandfather of multi-starrers, what does JP want to make next? "At this point, I can only say it will be a film that will reach an international audience. In the last one year, I've been exposed to the most amazing Chinese films. Look at how the Chinese have broken into international cinema.

Why can't we do the same? Compared to some French films, our films are a joke. I want to make a film that would hold our heads up high in the international arena. I want to be one of the filmmakers to change the way people look at Indian cinema," says Dutta.

So what would the subject of the next JP's opus be? "I've a couple of ideas in mind, and I'm working on them. Knowing myself, it would be nothing safe or time-tested. I guess I'll be ready to burn my hands again," shoots Dutta, before getting back to scripting his new dream.