My Muslim Mother Had To Disguise Herself As A Hindu: Mahesh Bhatt

Alia Bhatt’s father and famous filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt often grabs the headlines for being outspoken about his personal life. Be it his two marriages or his parents, his life has always created a buzz in tinsel town. The veteran director once shared the bitter memories of his childhood in an interview.

Mahesh Bhatt was asked what kind of a father he is in real life. He responded by saying that he did not know the meaning and responsibilities of a father. In his childhood, he has never spent time with his father, he added. He even opened up about how as a kid he was harassed by being asked about his father by others.

Bhatt was born to a Muslim mother, Shirin Mohammad Ali and a Hindu father, Nanabhai Bhatt. The Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin director revealed that his mother was Muslim, and had to disguise herself as a Hindu. Reportedly, his mother was a Shia Muslim and after the partition, lived in Mumbai’s Shivaji Park, which was a Hindu-dominated area. Hence, his mother used to hide her religion, Bhatt stated.

He also shared that his mother used to wear a saree and also put on a tika. On the other hand, his father Nanabhai Bhatt, lived in Andheri with his second family. He used to occasionally visit Mahesh, making him feel like an outsider.

Mahesh Bhatt made his debut as a director in 1974 with the Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain which featured Kabir Bedi and Prema Narayan. Later, he won a Filmfare award for Lahu Ke Do Rang which starred Shabana Azmi and Vinod Khanna in the lead. His movie Arth gained him critical acclaim. He also directed movies like Janam and Saaransh. However, his biggest release was the musical drama Aashiqui starring Rahul Roy, Anu Aggarwal and Deepak Tijori. Soon after, he launched his daughter from his first marriage, Pooja Bhatt in the movie Dil Hai Ke Manta Nahin in 1991 opposite Aamir Khan.

His upcoming project as a writer is 1920: Horrors of the Heart, directed by Krishna Bhatt. It will star Rahul Dev, Avika Gor and Avtar Gill, among others.

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