Success may have taken its time, but Mahaakshay Chakraborty never stopped believing. With Haunted Echoes of the Past emerging as a winner at the box office, the actor is fully enjoying a well-earned moment in the spotlight. In a candid conversation with Tribune, he reflects on his journey, working with Vikram Bhatt and stepping out of the shadow of his famous surname.After years of hard work, you’ve finally scored hit Haunted Echoes of the Past. How does it feel?I finally have a hit film to your credit. I’m just so grateful. I’m so, so grateful that Haunted Echoes of the Past has seen the light of day and people are liking the film. People are loving the film, loving the songs, loving the connection, loving the performance. My heart is content. I’m so grateful to God and to the universe and to destiny that finally people are seeing the film, and they have acknowledged and accepted the film. I think that is the biggest blessing that comes out of this.Despite being born in a family of a superstar, you have been struggling to stay afloat. Would you say being Mithun Chakraborty’s son is an advantage to your career?It’s everybody’s own destiny and fate. I chose to be an actor. I chose the pros and cons that come with being an actor. So, I think whether it’s the struggle, whether it’s the adversities or whether it is the victories, which I am now feeling, I think everything is a part and parcel of what I chose. So being Dad’s son is neither good nor bad. It is what it is. You know, I don’t take things personally anymore. The film industry is a money-making business. Actors who deliver hits, producers, directors and everybody involved put their money on the person who is giving them the money in return. That’s how the business runs. And, you know, that’s how it is. Today, if I have a successful film in my kitty, I’m so grateful for it. I don’t take things personally. Why is this happening or why did it happen? I’m just learning with every good and bad experience. Every hit or flop makes me into a better human being. And in the end, that’s what matters. So being dad’s son is neither an advantage, nor a disadvantage. This is my own journey. This is something I chose for myself and I’m going to accept whatever comes my way.Tell me about working with Vikram Bhatt. Did he guide you through the shooting or were you able to do your own thing?See, Vikram Bhatt is one of the best directors I’ve ever worked with. I have kept saying this to everyone who’s asked me this question, that Vikram Bhatt is not just an actor’s director. He is the director of your soul. Because he connects to your soul. He sees through your eyes. There are moments where I thought that I’ve given a good shot, but then Vikram Bhatt sir would say that, you know, do it one more, do it this way. Feel that emotion, feel that particular thing I want you to feel and then voila, the next take would be okay. And it would be better than what I had imagined in my head. Vikram sir is so learned. He has, you know, he is so experienced. He’s the maestro of horror, plus he’s such a great human being. So, I always wanted to be under his guidance. I wanted to understand him more as a human being, as a director, as a friend, as a father figure. So, I think I would always be happy and honoured to be under his shadow when it comes to being an actor. And I didn’t need to do anything on my own because he was guiding me so well.How do you explain the abiding popularity of the horror genre?See, horror will never grow out of style. A horror movie’s biggest star is the genre itself, the fear factor. We walk into a dark auditorium. We’re sitting next to strangers, and we all want to feel scared. Why do we want to feel scared? Because it’s an adrenaline rush. It’s that dopamine. It’s that sense of security because you know you’re not in that position. Somebody else is making you feel afraid. But at the same time, you want to be afraid. It’s like going into a roller coaster. Like I personally am terrified of heights, but I will always get into a roller coaster because I know that I’m not going to fall from it. I’m going to experience the thrill that I might fall, but I know back of my head I’m not going to fall. So that’s what horror does. It gives you the fear without the threat of being in danger. So horror will never grow out of style. Horror will always be the biggest pull. Why can’t we make something like Obsession? I think we can make it. That’s why Obsession is so good. India has its own sense of horror, like how Haunted Echoes of the Past became successful because of that. Because we have beautiful songs, we have emotions, we have romance, we have heartbreak, we have thrills, we have scares. I think that’s the kind of horror movies we like. But we also like Obsession. That’s why it’s still running and doing so much of business. Today, the audience has changed. Today, we don’t know what is that one secret formula to success. So, I believe that today, the audience is open to experiments. And if you make a good film, if you make an engaging film, people will flock to the theaters for it. I think that’s what the secret is.What do we see you in next?You will see me in several web shows, in many films, apart from horror as well. I’m in talks for doing an action thriller. So that’s there. I would love to do negative roles because I think as an actor, I want to always keep challenging myself. So that is there. So, fingers crossed.Your sister got engaged recently, so wedding bells in the family?Yes, my sister got engaged. Very, very happy. But you know us, we are very low key. So, we don’t talk about it. As long as they’re happy, we all are happy. So yeah, that’s that.