Mahesh Bhatt

Mahesh Bhatt (born September 20, 1948, in Bombay, India) is an Indian film director, producer, and screenwriter renowned for his contributions to Hindi cinema.

He is the son of Nanabhai Bhatt, a well-known Gujarati Hindu film producer, and Shirin Mohammad Ali (his Muslim mother), and was raised by his mother after his parents separated when he was young.

He dropped out of college in 1970 and began his filmmaking career as an assistant to director Raj Khosla. At the age of 21, he made his debut as a director with the film Sakat (also known as Saakat) in 1970, followed by Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain in 1974. His 1979 film Lahu Ke Do Rang, starring Shabana Azmi and Vinod Khanna, won two Filmfare Awards in 1980.

His early period included the stand-out film Saaransh (1984), which was screened at the 14th Moscow International Film Festival and won him the Special Jury Award at the Moscow Film Festival in 1985. Saaransh also became India's official entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film that year. The 1986 film Naam marked his first piece of commercial cinema. Other notable films from his earlier period include Arth (1982) and Janam (1985).

In 1987, he turned producer with the film Kabzaa under the banner "Vishesh Films," which he established along with his younger brother Mukesh Bhatt. He became one of the most recognized directors of the Indian film industry in the following decade, producing both art-house works like Daddy (1989) and Swayam (1991), as well as commercial romantic hits such as Awaargi (1990), Aashiqui (1990), and Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin (1991), in which he cast his daughter Pooja with actor Aamir Khan.

He directed Sadak (1991), which was a hit and remains his highest-grossing film either directed or produced under Vishesh Films.

His 1998 film Zakhm ran into trouble with the censor board due to critical references to the 1993 Mumbai riots. The movie told the story of his Muslim mother and the pressure she suffered for her relation with his Hindu father. Zakhm earned Mahesh Bhatt the National Film Award for Best Feature Film. He is also known for producing the horror thriller Raaz (2002).

Mahesh Bhatt was married to Kiran Bhatt (Lorraine Bright) in 1970, and the couple had two children: daughter Pooja Bhatt, a former actress who is now a producer, and son Rahul Bhatt, an aspiring actor.

He has been married to actress and director Soni Razdan since 1986, and they have two daughters together: Shaheen Bhatt and Alia Bhatt, the latter being a renowned actress. He also had an intimate affair with actress Parveen Babi. He went through various phases of beliefs, including following Osho and U.G. Krishnamurti.