| Industry | Motion pictures |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1987 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Vishesh Bhatt (CEO) |
| Products | Motion pictures |
| Owner | Mukesh Bhatt |
| Website | www |
Vishesh Films is an Indian film production company, founded in 1987. It is currently owned byMukesh Bhatt and is named after his sonVishesh.[1]
In 1987 Mukesh Bhatt turned producer when he set up his own banner, "Vishesh Films", naming it after his son Vishesh Bhatt. He went on to become one of the most recognised banners of the Indian film industry in the coming decade, giving both serious productions (along with his brother Mahesh who directed these films) – likeDaddy (1989), launching his niecePooja Bhatt as a movie actress, — as well as commercial romantic hits likeKabza (1987),Aashiqui (1990) andDil Hai Ki Manta Nahin (1991), in which he cast Pooja with actorAamir Khan. He next producedSadak (1991), which remains his highest grossing work, also directed by his brother Mahesh Bhatt. He won critical acclaim forSir (1993), which saw Pooja Bhatt act with Naseeruddin Shah along with the hitCriminal (1995).[citation needed]
He also produced the filmTadipaar (1993). Following this, he produced dramas likeDastak (1996), the debut film ofMiss Universe 1994-turned-actressSushmita Sen, andTamanna (1997). In 1998 his brother Mahesh Bhatt directed his last directorial ventureZakhm (1998) returned to thecensor board because of right-wing pressure critical of its references to theMumbai riots of 1993 and joined as full-time creative head of Vishesh Films. Thereafter, the Bhatt brothers joined hands and churned out stories and screenplays for over twenty films, many of which were box-office successes, likeDushman (1998),Raaz (2002),Murder (2004),Gangster (2006),Woh Lamhe (2006),Murder 2 (2011),Jism 2 (2012) andMurder 3 (2013).[citation needed]
Vishesh Films is known for producing small-budgeted commercially successful films with great music.[2]They produced thrillers likeCriminal (1994),Ghulam (1998),Raaz (2002),Murder (2004),Zeher (2005), andGangster (2006), all of which were major commercial successes.[citation needed]
They further producedZeher (2005),Awarapan (2007), andJannat (2008), all starringEmraan Hashmi. While the first two were moderate successes, the latter emerged as a super hit. They then began producing quasi-sequels and have given the maximum number of franchises to Indian cinema.[3] However, a common criticism of the films produced under the banner has been that the films are unofficial adaptations and rip-offs of many Hollywood and South Korean films.[citation needed]
For 30 years, Mukesh along with his brother, Mahesh, produced films under the production house. However owing to differences between the brothers, Mukesh officially took over Vishesh Films and in May 2021, it was publicly announced that Mahesh Bhatt was no more associated with the production house.[4]
The following is a list of films produced under the banner Vishesh Films.
| Rank | Name | Year | Domestic Gross | Starring |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aashiqui 2 | 2013 | ₹854.0 million (US$10 million) | Aditya Roy Kapoor,Shraddha Kapoor |
| 2 | Raaz 3 | 2012 | ₹729.0 million (US$8.6 million) | Bipasha Basu,Emraan Hashmi,Esha Gupta |
| 3 | Murder 2 | 2011 | ₹500.3 million (US$5.9 million) | Emraan Hashmi,Jacqueline Fernandez |
| 4 | Jannat 2 | 2012 | ₹420 million (US$5.0 million) | Emraan Hashmi, Esha Gupta,Randeep Hooda |
| 5 | Jism 2 | 2012 | ₹349.7 million (US$4.1 million) | Sunny Leone,Randeep Hooda,Arunoday Singh |