He was the most-wanted director of 2005 -- in a good way, that is.

That was when Bunty Aur Babli became a hit.

But after the disaster that was Jhoom Barabar Jhoom, director Shaad Ali virtually went into hiding.

Around the same time, his marriage broke up.

The filmmaker -- son of Muzaffar Ali (of Rekha's [Images] Umrao Jaan [Images]) and protege to Mani Ratnam -- finally resurfaced at a Mumbai nightclub where this picture was taken.

Shaad, who dislikes being photographed, brushed off photographers when they spotted him.

Earlier too he had behaved the same way when Bunty And Babli became a big hit.  

Who knows if this aversion to having his picture taken is shyness, arrogance or just dislike for lensmen.

Text: Gullu Gupshup | Photograph: Pradeep Bhandekar