Vishal Bharadwaj, a prominent figure in Indian cinema, is more than just a filmmaker. His multifaceted career encompasses music composition, screenwriting, directing, producing, and even playback singing, showcasing his incredible talent and range.

Wiki/Biography

Vishal Bharadwaj was born into a Brahmin family on August 4, 1965 (age 58 as of 2023), in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, India. His father, Ram Bharadwaj, was a sugarcane inspector, and his mother was a homemaker. Interestingly, his father also penned lyrics and poetry for Hindi films, perhaps foreshadowing Vishal’s own creative path. He completed his primary education in Najibabad before his family relocated to Meerut. There, he pursued his passion for cricket, even playing for the state’s Under-19 team. Unfortunately, a thumb injury during practice ended his cricketing aspirations. At the young age of 17, he composed a song that impressed his father so much that he shared it with music director Usha Khanna, leading to its inclusion in the film Yaar Kasam (1985). Subsequently, Bharadwaj moved to Delhi to attend Hindu College at the University of Delhi.

Physical Appearance

• Height: 165 cm or 5’5″
• Weight: 70 kg or 154 lbs
• Eye Colour: Brown
• Hair Colour: Salt & Pepper

Family

Vishal Bharadwaj’s parents are Ram Bharadwaj and Satya Bharadwaj. He had a brother who aspired to be a film producer in Mumbai but sadly passed away from a heart attack. He is married to his college sweetheart, the playback singer Rekha Bhardwaj, whom he met at a university function. They have one son, Aasmaan.

Career

His early years involved playing the harmonium with friends who were ghazal singers. This eventually led to a job at the CBC music company in Delhi, before he moved to Mumbai to pursue his career as a music composer. His debut as a music composer was in 1995 with the film Abhay (The Fearless). His work on Gulzar’s Maachis earned him the Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent. The National Film Award for Best Music Direction followed in 2000 for his work on Godmother (1999).

His directorial debut came in 2002 with the horror film Makdee. Inspired by Shakespeare’s Macbeth, he collaborated with Abbas Tyrewala on Maqbool (2003), a film set against the backdrop of the Mumbai underworld, which is considered one of the greatest Hindi films of all time. His filmography includes commercially successful ventures like Kaminey (2009) and diverse projects like 7 Khoon Maaf (2011), based on Ruskin Bond’s short story. He’s also known for directing films such as Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, Rangoon, and Pataakha.

He also ventured into film production, starting with Ishqiya, and later co-producing films like Ek Thi Daayan and Dedh Ishqiya. He also co-produced Gulzar’s Talvar (2015). Beyond composing music, he’s also a noted playback singer, lending his voice to numerous films.

Controversy

The National Awards his film Haider won sparked controversy when he dedicated them to Kashmiri Pandits. Actor Anupam Kher, also a Kashmiri Pandit, publicly criticized the film, alleging a biased portrayal of the Indian Army and a lack of Kashmiri Pandit perspectives.

Awards/Honours

• Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent for Maachis (1997)
• National Film Award for Best Music Direction for Godmother (2000)
• National Film Award for Best Children’s Film for The Blue Umbrella (2005)
• National Film Award – Special Jury Award for Omkara (2006)
• National Film Award for Best Music Direction for Ishqiya (2010)
• Best Music Direction and Best Screenplay awards for Haider (2015)
• Yash Bharti Award by the Government of Uttar Pradesh (2016)
• Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director for Carbon (2018)

Favourite Things

• Filmmakers: Krzysztof Kie?lowski, Satyajit Ray, Anurag Kashyap, Anurag Basu
• Authors: Shakespeare, Ruskin Bond
• Writer/Lyricist: Gulzar
• Films: Kapurush, Decalogue, Pulp Fiction, Ship of Theseus
• Sport: Cricket

Net Worth

As of 2018, his net worth was estimated at $70 million.

Facts

• He enjoys smoking and drinking.
• His hobbies include watching and playing tennis and cricket, reading, and traveling.
• He frequently collaborates with Gulzar, considering him a mentor and father figure.
• Haider was co-written by journalist-writer Basharat Peer, an eyewitness to the Kashmir conflict.
• The filmmaking style of Polish director Krzysztof Kie?lowski, particularly his film Dekalog, significantly influenced him.

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