Kolkata, Jun 28 (IANS): National Award winning filmmaker Madhur Bhandarkar has proved his mettle in the film industry. But had he not forayed into showbiz, the ace director says he would have been a film journalist.

"Had I not been a film director I would have been a film journalist. I have those journalistic traits in me. Wherever I go I meet people, keep talking to people and travel a lot," Bhandarkar said on the sidelines of an interactive session on 'Women in Cinema' organised by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry's Ladies Organisation here Thursday.

Bhandarkar, who garnered critical acclaim for his films like "Chandni Bar", "Satta", "Page 3" and "Fashion", feels his trait of thoroughly researching a subject matches the criteria of reporters.

"For my film 'Fashion', like an investigative journalist I went about knowing the people, the models, the fashion designers. Similarly with the corporate world," the director said.