Vishal Bhardwaj facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Vishal Bhardwaj
Bhardwaj in 2016
Born	(1965-08-04) 4 August 1965 (age 59) Chandpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Occupation	Director, producer, writer, music director
Years active	1995–present
Spouse(s)	Rekha Bhardwaj

Vishal Bhardwaj was born on August 4, 1965. He is a talented Indian filmmaker, music composer, and singer. He is famous for his work in Hindi cinema, also known as Bollywood. Vishal Bhardwaj has won many awards, including nine National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award.

He started his career as a music composer for a children's film called Abhay in 1995. He became more well-known for his music in Gulzar's film Maachis (1996). For this, he won the Filmfare R. D. Burman Award for new music talent. He also composed music for films like Satya (1998) and Godmother (1999). He won a National Film Award for Best Music Direction for Godmother.

Vishal Bhardwaj directed his first film, Makdee, in 2002. It was a children's film, and he also composed its music. He became very famous for making Indian versions of three plays by William Shakespeare. These were Maqbool (2003) based on Macbeth, Omkara (2006) based on Othello, and Haider (2014) based on Hamlet. He has also directed action films like Kaminey, the comedy 7 Khoon Maaf (2011), and the satire Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola (2013).

Besides directing, Bhardwaj also produces films with his company, VB Pictures. He has helped write and produce films like Ishqiya (2010), its sequel Dedh Ishqiya (2014), and the thriller Talvar (2015). He always creates the music for his own films. He often works with the famous writer Gulzar. Vishal Bhardwaj is married to the singer Rekha Bhardwaj. He is also a board member of the Mumbai Academy of the Moving Image.

Early Life and Interests

Vishal Bhardwaj was born on August 4, 1965, in Chandpur city. This city is in the Bijnor District of Uttar Pradesh, India. His mother, Satya Bhardwaj, was a homemaker. His father, Ram Bhardwaj, was a sugarcane inspector. His father also wrote poems and songs for Hindi films.

Vishal and his family lived in Najibabad until he finished fifth grade. Then they moved to Meerut. In Meerut, he played cricket for his state's under-19 team. One day, his thumb broke during practice. This happened just before a big tournament. Because of this injury, he could not play cricket for a year. His father passed away that same year. This made it hard for him to continue his cricket career.

He had an older brother who wanted to become a film producer in Mumbai. Vishal composed a song when he was seventeen. His father shared the song with music director Usha Khanna. She used it in the film Yaar Kasam (1985). Vishal later moved to Delhi for college at Hindu College, University of Delhi. He met his wife, Rekha Bhardwaj, at a college event. She was one year older than him. He also enjoys playing tennis.

Journey into Film

Vishal Bhardwaj started by playing the harmonium for friends. These friends were ghazal singers. After some years, he worked for a music company in Delhi called CBS. Later, he moved to Mumbai to become a music composer. He started directing films mainly to create chances to compose music for them.

He became interested in directing after watching Quentin Tarantino's Pulp Fiction (1994). He also saw Krzysztof Kieślowski's TV series Dekalog at a film festival. These films inspired him to become a filmmaker.

Music Composer Achievements

In 1995, Bhardwaj began his career as a music composer. His first film was Abhay, a children's movie. He then composed music for Fauji (1995) and Sanshodhan (1996). In 1996, he was the music director for Gulzar's Maachis. For Maachis, he won the Filmfare R. D. Burman Award for new music talent. He also got his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. The film showed how young people became involved in a conflict in Punjab in the 1980s. The music became very popular with young college students.

He worked with Gulzar again on TV shows like Alice in Wonderland. His other music projects included Betaabi (1997) and Satya (1998). At the 46th National Film Awards, Bhardwaj won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for his music in Godmother (1999).

In 2010, he composed music for his own film, Ishqiya. This earned him his second National Film Award for Best Music Direction. He also composed music for the Hindi version of Jungle Book Shōnen Mowgli. This was an anime show based on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. Besides films, Bhardwaj has made music for albums like Sunset Point (2000). He often works with the lyricist Gulzar.

Writer and Director Highlights

Bhardwaj directed his first film, Makdee, in 2002. It starred Shabana Azmi and Shweta Prasad. The film is about twin girls and a witch in a big house. It was shown at the 2003 Cannes Film Festival.

Vishal Bhardwaj had read a short version of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. He wanted to turn it into a gangster film. He was inspired by Akira Kurosawa's Throne of Blood (1957), which was also based on Macbeth. He worked with Abbas Tyrewala to adapt the play. This became the 2003 film Maqbool. It starred Pankaj Kapur, Irrfan Khan, and Tabu. The story was set in the criminal underworld of Mumbai. The film was shown at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival. Critics praised Maqbool for its dark and smart storytelling.

In 2006, Bhardwaj adapted another Shakespeare play, Othello. He made it into the film Omkara. The film was set in the political world of Uttar Pradesh. It had many famous actors like Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor, and Saif Ali Khan. Omkara was shown at the Marrakech International Film Festival. Bhardwaj won a Special Jury Award for the film. Even though critics loved it, Omkara did not earn much money at the box office in India. However, it did well in North America and the United Kingdom.

Bhardwaj's next film was The Blue Umbrella (2005). This children's film was based on a novel by Ruskin Bond. It won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film in 2005. He then made Blood Brothers (2007). This was a short film about HIV/AIDS. It was part of a series called 'AIDS JaaGo'.

Bhardwaj in 2012

In 2009, Bhardwaj directed the action film Kaminey. It starred Shahid Kapoor and Priyanka Chopra. The film is about two twin brothers, one who lisps and one who stammers. Bhardwaj bought the story from a writer in Kenya. Critics gave Kaminey good reviews. It was also a financial success, earning a lot of money worldwide. The film earned Bhardwaj nominations for Best Director and Best Music Director at the Filmfare Awards.

7 Khoon Maaf (2011) was Bhardwaj's next film. It was based on Ruskin Bond's short story, Susanna's Seven Husbands. The film is about Susanna (played by Priyanka Chopra) who kills her seven husbands while looking for love. Bhardwaj, Bond, and Matthew Robbins wrote the film together. It received positive reviews from critics.

In 2013, Bhardwaj directed Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola. This was a political satire set in a village in Haryana. It starred Anushka Sharma and Imran Khan. Bhardwaj also choreographed a song in the film. The film received mixed reviews and did not do very well at the box office.

In 2014, Bhardwaj made his stage debut with an opera called A Flowering Tree. It was based on a folk tale. In the same year, he finished his Shakespearean trilogy with Haider. This film was based on Hamlet. It was set during the Kashmir conflict of 1995. Shahid Kapoor played the main role. Haider was highly praised by critics. It won Bhardwaj National Film Awards for Best Music Director and Best Dialogues.

After a break, Bhardwaj directed Rangoon in 2016. It was a romantic drama set during World War II. It starred Kangana Ranaut, Shahid Kapoor, and Saif Ali Khan. Bhardwaj said that not many people know India was involved in that war. The film received mixed reviews and did not attract a large audience.

In 2018, Bhardwaj wrote, produced, and directed Pataakha. It starred Sanya Malhotra and Radhika Madan as two sisters who argue a lot. It was based on a short story by Charan Singh Pathik. Critics found the film "real and gritty."

Film Producer Role

Vishal Bhardwaj produces his own films under his company, VB Pictures. In 2010, he produced the black comedy Ishqiya. It starred Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah, and Arshad Warsi. The film was directed by Abhishek Chaubey, who had worked with Bhardwaj before. The film did moderately well at the box office. He also worked with Ekta Kapoor's Balaji Motion Pictures to produce Ek Thi Daayan in 2013. This film was about witchcraft and was based on a short story. It received mixed reviews but made a profit.

His next production was Dedh Ishqiya, a sequel to Ishqiya. It starred Madhuri Dixit, Naseeruddin Shah, and Huma Qureshi. This film was successful with both critics and audiences. In 2015, Bhardwaj wrote and co-produced Talvar. This drama thriller was based on the 2008 Noida double murder case. It starred Irrfan Khan and Konkana Sen Sharma. Talvar was shown at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival. It was released in India to positive reviews.

Singing for Films

Besides composing music, Vishal Bhardwaj has also sung many songs for films. He has lent his voice to songs in films like Omkara, No Smoking, Kaminey, 7 Khoon Maaf, Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, and Haider.

Filmmaking Style

Vishal Bhardwaj's films often have complex stories. They show characters who are not entirely good or bad. He often adapts short stories and plays for his films. The Blue Umbrella and 7 Khoon Maaf were based on Ruskin Bond's stories. Maqbool, Omkara, and Haider were adaptations of William Shakespeare's famous plays.

Some of Bhardwaj's films are inspired by real events. The Kashmir conflict was shown in Haider. The Mumbai underworld was featured in Maqbool. Talvar was based on a real murder case from 2008. Bhardwaj often works with writer and lyricist Gulzar. He calls Gulzar his "father" and "mentor." Many of his films feel like documentaries because they are so realistic. For example, Haider was co-written by a journalist who saw the Kashmir conflict firsthand.

Bhardwaj is influenced by filmmakers like Krzysztof Kieślowski, Satyajit Ray, and Akira Kurosawa. Kieslowski's Dekalog (1989) inspired him to become a filmmaker. Veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah has said that even Bhardwaj's less successful films are still more interesting than many other directors' good work.

Awards and Recognitions

Vishal Bhardwaj has won many awards for his work. He won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for Godmother. He then won two awards in a row: The Blue Umbrella won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film. He also won the Special Jury Award for Omkara. Bhardwaj received two Filmfare nominations for Kaminey. These were for Best Director and Best Music Director.

He won his second National Film Award for Best Music Direction for his film Ishqiya. At the 62nd National Film Awards, Bhardwaj won his third Best Music Director award. He also won the Best Screenplay award for Haider. In 2016, the Government of Uttar Pradesh gave Bhardwaj the Yash Bharti Award. This was for his important contributions to cinema. He also won his second National Film Award for Best Screenplay for writing Talvar.

Bhardwaj's three Shakespearean films—Maqbool, Omkara, and Haider—were shown at a special event. This event celebrated 400 years since William Shakespeare's death. It was co-hosted by the British Film Institute in London. In 2019, Bhardwaj won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Music Director for his second Malayalam film, Carbon.

Filmography

Key

Denotes films that have not yet been released

Director

Music Director

Music Videos

See also

In Spanish: Vishal Bhardwaj para niños