Vishal Bhardwaj | |
|---|---|
 Bhardwaj in 2016 | |
| Born | (1965-08-04)4 August 1965 (age 60) |
| Occupation(s) | Director, producer, writer, music director |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouse | Rekha Bhardwaj |
Vishal Bhardwaj (born 4 August 1965)[1] is an Indian filmmaker, music composer, and playback singer. He is known for his work inHindi cinema, and is the recipient of nineNational Film Awards and aFilmfare Award.
Bhardwaj made his debut as a music composer with the children's filmAbhay (1995), and received wider recognition with his compositions inGulzar'sMaachis (1996). He received theFilmfare R. D. Burman Award for New Music Talent for the latter.[2] He went on to compose music for the filmsSatya (1998) andGodmother (1999). For the latter, he won theNational Film Award for Best Music Direction.
Bhardwaj made his directorial debut with the children's filmMakdee (2002), for which he also composed the music. He garnered widespread critical acclaim and numerous accolades for writing and directing the Indian adaptations of three tragedies byWilliam Shakespeare:Maqbool (2003) fromMacbeth,Omkara (2006) fromOthello, andHaider (2014) fromHamlet. He has also directed the action filmKaminey, the black comedy7 Khoon Maaf (2011), and the satireMatru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola (2013).
In addition, Bhardwaj produces films under his banner VB Pictures. He has co-written and produced the filmsIshqiya (2010), its sequelDedh Ishqiya (2014), and the drama thrillerTalvar (2015), among others. He has composed the musical score for each of his directorial and production ventures, and frequently collaborates with the lyricistGulzar. He is married to playback singerRekha Bhardwaj.Bhardwaj is the board member ofMumbai Academy of the Moving Image.[3]
Bhardwaj was born on 4 August 1965, inChandpur city in DistrictBijnor,Uttar Pradesh.[4] His mother Satya Bhardwaj was a homemaker, and his father Ram Bhardwaj was a sugarcane inspector.[5] His father also wrote poetry and lyrics for Hindi films. He and his family lived inNajibabad until he completed class five in school.[6] They later moved toMeerut, where he playedcricket for the state's under-19 team. His thumb broke during a practice session one day before an inter-university tournament, leaving him unable to play for the year. The same year, his father died, leaving him unable to continue his cricket career.[6][7]
He had an elder brother who struggled for years in Mumbai to become a film producer, and later died of a heart attack.[6] He composed a song at the age of seventeen. After hearing the song, his father discussed it with music directorUsha Khanna. She used it in the filmYaar Kasam (1985).[6] Bhardwaj later moved to Delhi to pursue his graduation at theHindu College, University of Delhi.[8] He met his wife, playback singerRekha Bhardwaj, during a college annual function; she was a year senior to him.[9] He is also an avidtennis player.[10]
Bhardwaj started playingharmonium for friends who wereghazal singers. After a few years, he took up a job with a music company called CBS in Delhi.[6][11] He later went to Mumbai to become a music composer, and he only took to directing films to create the opportunity to compose music.[10]His interest in film direction was kindled after watchingQuentin Tarantino'sPulp Fiction (1994) andKrzysztof Kieślowski's television seriesDekalog during a film festival inThiruvananthapuram.[6][11]
In 1995, Bhardwaj made his debut as a music composer for the children's filmAbhay.[12] He went on to compose music forFauji (1995) andSanshodhan (1996).[13][14] In 1996, he served as the music director forGulzar'sMaachis, for which he received theFilmfare R. D. Burman Award for New Music Talent and his first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Music Director.[15] The film depicted the transformation of boys into terrorists during thePunjab insurgency inPunjab in the 1980s.[16] The soundtrack composed by Bhardwaj became an anthem for politically restive college youth at that time.[16] He later collaborated with Gulzar on TV serials such asAlice in Wonderland andGubbare.[17] His further projects includedBetaabi (1997),Tunnu Ki Tina (1997),Satya (1998) andHu Tu Tu (1999).[18][19] At the46th National Film Awards, Bhardwaj received theNational Film Award for Best Music Direction for his critically acclaimed score inGodmother (1999).[20]
In 2010, he composed the music for his production ventureIshqiya, which garnered him his second National Film Award for Best Music Direction and his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director.[21] He also composed music forJungle Book Shōnen Mowgli, the Hindi-dubbed version of theanime adaptation ofRudyard Kipling's original collection of stories,The Jungle Book.[22] Apart from feature films, Bhardwaj has provided music for albums such asSunset Point (2000),Ishqa Ishqa (2002) andBarse Barse (2011).[23][24][25] He frequently collaborates with Gulzar.[26]
Bhardwaj made his directorial debut with the children's filmMakdee (2002), starringShabana Azmi,Makarand Deshpande andShweta Prasad. The film tells the story of twin young girls and an alleged witch in a mansion.[15] It was screened in the Critics' Week (Spotlight on India) section at the2003 Cannes Film Festival.[27]
Bhardwaj had read a short version ofWilliam Shakespeare'sMacbeth and wanted to turn it into a gangster film.[7] He had seenAkira Kurosawa'sThrone of Blood (1957), which was also inspired by Macbeth. It inspired Bhardwaj to make it into a feature film.[28] He then started working withAbbas Tyrewala to adapt the play.[28] This developed into the 2003 film adaptationMaqbool starringPankaj Kapur,Irrfan Khan andTabu; it was set against the backdrop of Mumbai underworld. The film was screened at the2004 Cannes Film Festival and at the2003 Toronto Film Festival.[29][30]Sita Menon ofRediff.com called it "..a visual gallery that is an intelligent blend of dark, tragic overtones and comic, satirical undertones."[31]CNN-IBN listedMaqbool as "one of the 100 greatest Indian films of all time" in a 2013 list.[32] In 2010, criticRaja Sen included it in "The Top 75 Hindi Films of the Decade" list.[33]
In 2006, Bhardwaj again adapted Shakespeare, reimagining his tragedyOthello asOmkara. Set against the backdrop of the political system in Uttar Pradesh, the film starred anensemble cast ofAjay Devgn,Kareena Kapoor,Saif Ali Khan,Konkona Sen Sharma,Vivek Oberoi andBipasha Basu in lead roles, with Devgn playing the titular character.[34] It premiered at the 6thMarrakech International Film Festival, and was screened at theCairo International Film Festival.[35] At the54th National Film Awards, Bhardwaj received theSpecial Jury Award (feature film) for the film, in addition to earning his first nomination for theFilmfare Award for Best Director.[36]Omkara met with widespread critical acclaim, but was abox office disappointment.[37] However, it opened to a positive box office response in North America and the United Kingdom.[38]
Bhardwaj's next project was the 2005 children's filmThe Blue Umbrella, based onRuskin Bond'snovel of the same name. It won theNational Film Award for Best Children's Film in 2005.[39] His followup wasBlood Brothers (2007), a short film onHIV/AIDS with a run time of 13 minutes. It tells the story of a young man who, after finding out that he is HIV positive, allows his life to fall apart.[40] It was a part of the 'AIDS JaaGo', a series of four short films directed byMira Nair,Santosh Sivan, andFarhan Akhtar in a joint initiative by Nair and theBill & Melinda Gates Foundation.[41] The series premiered at the2007 Toronto International Film Festival.[42] The same year, he served as a writer forSanjay Gupta'santhology film,Dus Kahaniyaan.[43]
In 2009, Bhardwaj directed the action filmKaminey starringShahid Kapoor andPriyanka Chopra. The film follows the rivalry between identical twins, one with alisp and one with astammer. He bought the story for this film from a Kenyan writer.[44][45] It opened to positive reviews from critics upon release.Anupama Chopra gave a rating of 4 out of 5 and wrote "Kaminey is the best Bollywood film I've seen this year. It's an audacious, original rollercoaster ride. Written and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj,Kaminey requires patience and attention but the pay off is more than worth it."[46]Kaminey was also a financial success, earning over₹700 million (US$8.3 million) worldwide.[47] The film earned Bhardwaj his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director and Best Music Director.
7 Khoon Maaf (2011), a film based on Ruskin Bond's short story,Susanna's Seven Husbands, was Bhardwaj's next directorial venture. The story revolves around Susanna Anna-Marie Johannes (played by Priyanka Chopra) who murders her seven husbands in an unending quest for love. The film was written collaboratively by Bhardwaj, Bond and American writerMatthew Robbins.[48] It released on 18 February 2011 and met with positive reviews.[49] AZee News critic mentioned in a four out of five star review: "Vishal Bhardwaj does it again. The maverick filmmaker has once again woven magic with his latest blockbuster7 Khoon Maaf".[50]
In 2013, Bhardwaj directedMatru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, apolitical satire set in the rustic surroundings of a village inHaryana. It starredAnushka Sharma andImran Khan, with Pankaj Kapur and Shabana Azmi in supporting roles.[51] Bhardwaj also choreographed a song "Oye Boy Charlie" in the film.[52] The film received mixed reviews from critics,[53] and underperformed at the box office.[54][55]
In 2014, Bhardwaj made his stage debut with theoperaA Flowering Tree. It was based on a classic folk tale by Kannada writer and scholarA. K. Ramanujan.[56] In 2014, he completed his Shakespearean trilogy withHaider, based on the tragedyHamlet. Set during theKashmir conflict of 1995, the film starred Shahid Kapoor in the titular role, for which he, along with Bhardwaj, charged no money.[57]Haider garnered widespread critical acclaim, though it was controversial among Hindu nationalists for its portrayal of the conflict in Kashmir.[58][59]CNN-IBN'sRajeev Masand called it "an elegant, thrilling film that casts a brave, unflinching eye on the Kashmir struggle."[60] At the62nd National Film Awards, Bhardwaj wonNational Film Awards forBest Music Director andBest Dialogues.[61][62] It also earned himFilmfare nominations forBest Film andBest Director at the60th Filmfare Awards.[63]
After a two-year hiatus, Bhardwaj returned in 2016 to directRangoon, a romantic drama set duringWorld War II and starringKangana Ranaut, Shahid Kapoor and Saif Ali Khan. About the film, Bhardwaj said: "In history, very few people know that India was also involved in the war. On the Burma border the British Indian army was fighting against Subhash Chandra Bose's INA (Indian National Army), who were then with Japanese army and Indians were killing Indians at the Burma border."[64] The film opened to generally mixed reviews and failed to find a wide audience at the box office.[65]
In 2018, Bhardwaj wrote, co-produced and directedPataakha, starringSanya Malhotra and debutantRadhika Madan as two quarrelsome sisters. It was based on the short storyDo Behenein by Rajasthani writer and teacher Charan Singh Pathik, which he loved after reading it in 2013 in theSahitya Kala Parishad journal.[66] Udita Jhunjhunwala ofMint called the film "real and gritty" with Bhardwaj creating an "altogether authentic world". However, she felt that the film was stretched in length and "squanders its material advantage to pad out a fable that splutters and grunts before it gains momentum."[67]
Bhardwaj produces his own films under his banner VB Pictures. In 2010, he produced theblack comedyIshqiya. StarringVidya Balan,Naseeruddin Shah andArshad Warsi, the film was directed by debutantAbhishek Chaubey.[68] Chaubey had earlier assisted and co-wrote several of Bhardwaj's films. The film was an average grosser at the box-office.[69] The film earned him his third nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Music Director. He teamed up withEkta Kapoor'sBalaji Motion Pictures to produce the supernatural thrillerEk Thi Daayan in 2013. Dealing with the theme ofwitchcraft, the film was based on 'Mobius Trips', a short story written byKonkona Sen Sharma's father.[70] It received mixed reviews from critics,[71] but proved to be profitable at the box office.[72]
His next production venture wasDedh Ishqiya, a sequel to the 2010 filmIshqiya. StarringMadhuri Dixit, Naseeruddin Shah,Huma Qureshi and Arshad Warsi, the film was a critical and commercial success, earning ₹270 million (US$4.1 million) in India and abroad.[73][74] In 2015, Bhardwaj wrote and co-producedMeghna Gulzar's drama thrillerTalvar. The film was based on the2008 Noida double murder case, and starred Irrfan Khan, Konkana Sen Sharma andNeeraj Kabi.[75]Talvar premiered at the2015 Toronto International Film Festival,[76] and was released in India on 2 October 2015 to positive reviews from critics.[77]
Apart from composing music, Bhardwaj has also lent his voice to various songs for films likeOmkara,[78]No Smoking,[79]U Me Aur Hum,[80]Kaminey,[81]Striker,[82]7 Khoon Maaf,[83]Matru Ki Bijlee Ka Mandola, andHaider.[84][85]
Bhardwaj's films are often twisted, with portrayal of characters with grey shades.[86] He also frequently adapts short stories and plays in films.The Blue Umbrella and7 Khoon Maaf were adapted fromRuskin Bond's short stories.[87]Maqbool,Omkara andHaider were adaptations of William Shakespeare's tragedies.[86] Some of Bhardwaj's films take inspiration from real-life incidents. TheKashmir conflict was shown inHaider,[16] theMumbai underworld inMaqbool,[86] andTalvar was based on the2008 Noida double murder case.[75] Bhardwaj frequently collaborates with writer-lyricist Gulzar, calling him his "father" and "mentor".[88] Most treatments of his films are like documentaries.Haider was co-written by journalist-writer Basharat Peer, who was an eyewitness to the Kashmir conflict.[16]
Bhardwaj is influenced by the filmmaking styles ofKrzysztof Kieślowski,Satyajit Ray,Ritwik Ghatak, andAkira Kurosawa.[89] Kieslowski'sDekalog (1989) inspired him to become a filmmaker.[89] Veteran actorNaseeruddin Shah says: "I think he makes interesting films, even though I haven't liked all his works. But even his poor work is more interesting than a lot of people's so-called good work."[90]
He won theNational Film Award for Best Music Direction forGodmother.[20] He then went on to win two consecutive awards:The Blue Umbrella, which won theNational Film Award for Best Children's Film,[39] andNational Film Award – Special Jury Award forOmkara.[36] Bhardwaj received twoFilmfare nominations forKaminey forBest Director andBest Music Director.[91]
He won his second National Film Award for Best Music Direction for his production ventureIshqiya.[21] At the62nd National Film Awards, Bhardwaj won his thirdBest Music Director andBest Screenplay award forHaider.[61] In 2016, Bhardwaj was given theYash Bharti Award by theGovernment of Uttar Pradesh for his contributions in the field of cinema.[92] He also received his second National Film Award for Best Screenplay for writingTalvar.[93] Bhardwaj's Shakespearean trilogy—Maqbool,Omkara andHaider— was screened as part of an event marking the 400th anniversary of William Shakespeare's death, co-hosted by theBritish Film Institute in London.[94] In 2019, Bhardwaj won theKerala State Film Award for Best Music Director for his secondMalayalam filmCarbon.[95]
| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Palkein Kholo | VB Music | [98] |
| Dhoop Aane Do | [99] | ||
| Mask Kho Gaya | [100] |
| International | |
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| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
