Mahesh Bhatt recently appeared in a talk show called “The Invincibles” hosted by Arbaaz Khan. In the latest episode, the filmmaker opened up about his relationship with his father. In his conversation with the host, Mahesh Bhatt recalled the traumatic phase of his life when he was disgraced as an illegitimate child.
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Apart from his work in Hindi cinema, the director, producer, and screenwriter is prominently known for being outspoken, even if that leads to criticism. During the show, Mahesh Bhatt spoke about having an afflicted childhood since he was a child who was born out of wedlock and his parents belonged to two different communities. His mother, Shirin Mohammad Ali, was a Gujarati Muslim, and his father, Nanabhai Bhatt, was a Gujarati Hindu Nagar Brahmin.
Mahesh Bhatt on His Childhood Experience
Bhatt recalled the moment when he gave his earnings to his mother. He said that he was aware of the fact that he was responsible for taking care of his family. Later, the host of the show, Arbaaz Khan, asserted that Mahesh Bhatt should shed some light on his childhood.
On this, he shared his childhood experience, which he claimed to be a troubled one. He said that he was born in 1948, which was the post-independence era for India. He revealed that his mother was a Shia Muslim and they lived in Shivaji Park. It was a place that was dominated by Hindu families, so his mother had to conceal her identity. She used to wear a saree and apply a tilak.
Further, he added that his father was a reputed filmmaker. Just like Mahesh Bhatt, his father was an Indian film director and producer. He gave us many blockbuster hits like Mr. India, Laal Qila, Kangan, and many more. Bhatt shared that his father fell in love with his mother, but because of the religious biases that prevail in society, their house was claimed to be illegitimate.
Their condition was so tragic that they used to get leftovers from other houses. The story of his parents was complicated, as his father’s mother (Mahesh Bhatt’s grandmother) would never approve of any Muslim woman as her son’s wife. But these conditions were futile since the couple loved each other.
Mahesh Bhatt on Having Troubled Childhood
He further revealed that his father had another family, and he used to live with them in Andheri. He said that “people believe that childhood is the most beautiful phase of life, but I certainly don’t agree with this.”
He said whenever his father came to his house, he felt as if some outsider had entered their house. He continued by saying that the movies his father made were based on fiction. In contrast, his life was a tragic reality that he is ashamed of.
He reminisced about the incident from his childhood where he had to encounter some heinous men who would drag him to a corner and inquire about his father. His sister handled the situation by saying that he was not at home.
Bhatt concluded the topic by saying that he still remembers an incident when he got beaten by his mother because he told those men that his father doesn’t live with them; he has a separate family with whom he lives in Andheri. Though he got beaten up for this, he discovered that, after telling them this, they never harassed him.
Bhatt said that that day he realized that people manipulate you based on what you hide.
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