Happy 60th to Vishal Bhardwaj—the man who made music before he made movies.
Filmmaker, music composer, and playback singer Vishal Bhardwaj is celebrating his 60th birthday today. Known for delivering cinematic gems like ‘Maqbool’, ‘Haider’, ‘7 Khoon Maaf’, and more, he has also given Hindi cinema some of its finest Shakespearean tragedy adaptations. Bhardwaj is the recipient of nine National Film Awards and a Filmfare Award. He made his directorial debut with the comedy horror film ‘Makdee’ in 2002. While he’s widely appreciated as a director, did you know he first struck a chord as a music composer? Let’s find out more about this.
Vishal Bhardwaj is perhaps the very definition of a multi-hyphenate personality—director, producer, singer, and music composer—whose contributions have enriched Hindi cinema for years. As a composer, he has created some of the most memorable and melodious songs in the industry.
Bhardwaj began his journey as a music composer in 1995 with the children’s film ‘Abhay’, followed by projects like ‘Fauji’ and ‘Sanshodhan’. However, his major breakthrough came with Gulzar’s ‘Maachis’, which earned him the Filmfare R. D. Burman Award for New Music Talent, along with his first nomination for Best Music Director.
With the success of ‘Maachis’, Bhardwaj was firmly in the spotlight, and opportunities poured in. He went on to compose for notable films like ‘Chachi 420’, ‘Satya’, ‘Daya’, and ‘Jahan Tum Le Chalo’. ‘Satya’ became a cult classic, and its songs—like ‘Goli Maar’ and ‘Sapne Mein’—remain popular even today.
His creative partnership with Gulzar has been particularly celebrated. Whether it was ‘Omkara’ (a Hindi heartland adaptation of ‘Othello’ starring Kareena Kapoor and Ajay Devgn) or the career-defining film ‘Kaminey’ for Shahid Kapoor (opposite Priyanka Chopra), their collaborations have consistently produced songs that are deeply rooted in the film’s setting and rich in lyrical depth.
Before achieving success in cinema, Bhardwaj aspired only to become a music composer so he could fulfill his dream of recording a song with his idol, Lata Mangeshkar. Reflecting on his journey, he once said, “If I wasn't a filmmaker, I would’ve been a music composer (which, in fact, I still am). And if I hadn’t been so interested in music, I’d have been a cricketer.” At an event, the ‘Omkara’ director also shared, “I never wanted to become a director and do big things! Mere rooh ki giza aur bhook (food for soul and hunger) is music.”
