Mahesh Bhatt

Biography:  Mahesh Bhatt is a prominent Indian film director, producer and screenwriter. He was born to Nanabhai Bhatt, (1915–1999), a Hindi film director-producer and a Shia Muslim mother. His parents separated when he was young and was raised by his mother. He went through various phases of beliefs, including following Osho and U.G. Krishnamurti. He married Kiran Bhatt in 1970, and the couple had two children, a daughter Pooja Bhatt, a former actress, now a producer, and Rahul Bhatt, an aspiring actor. His second wife is Soni Razdan, a film actress and director. He has two daughters from Soni Razdan, Shaheen Bhatt and Alia Bhatt. Alia was launched as an actor in Karan Johar's film Student Of The Year. Bhatt also had an intimate affair with Parveen Babi. Bhatt began his career as an assistant to Hindi director Raj Khosla. At the age of 21 he made his debut as a director, with the film Sakat (1970); this was followed by Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain in 1974. His 1979 film, Lahu Ke Do Rang, starring Shabana Azmi and Vinod Khanna, bagged two Filmfare Awards in 1980.