Mahesh Bhatt’s mentorship has proven to reap great benefits this year as several of his former associates and proteges have come into their own as directors yet again in July 2025. Firstly, Anurag Basu, whom he launched as a director in Saaya (2003), recently delivered the much-loved romantic musical Metro… In Dino.
On July 18, two other talents that Bhatt launched have also come up with their directorials. Bhatt’s nephew Mohit Suri, whom he launched with Zeher (2005), delivered Saiyaara, a blockbuster romantic drama starring Ahaan Panday and Aneet Padda, backed by Aditya Chopra’s Yash Raj Films. But that’s not the film Bhatt has his money on.
“There’s another young filmmaker, who happens to be my nephew, Mohit Suri. He’s made a film called Saiyaara, which is coming on 18th. He made Aashiqui 2 (2013) for me. He’s a bright, young boy. He has his own style, and he’s coming into his own,” said Bhatt on The Himanshu Mehta Show, but added that he doesn’t see an original voice in the movies today.
“But I don’t see an original voice in the landscape today. The burden of an instant box office hit, this box office albatross is weighing down everybody. It makes people take plots and stories which titillate and cater to the senses,” added Bhatt. Saiyaara has become the highest grossing Hindi film with newcomers, having collected over Rs 250 crore in 11 days at the domestic box office.
“The dopamine (on smartphones) has been numbing your senses. Because you want to escape the reality of the world. Our filmmakers and singers of bygone days would throw you into yourself. Now, content is used as a way to escape yourself. Anything that takes you away from yourself is popcorn, like candyfloss. I don’t see filmmakers with great depth anymore,” argued Bhatt.
He claimed the only film with an “original voice” he’s seen recently is Anupam Kher’s coming-of-age drama Tanvi The Great. Kher was also launched by Bhatt as an actor in his 1984 family drama Saaransh. Bhatt admitted his choice could be out of “emotional bias,” but he’s a biased human being “like anybody else.”
“It’s a film which roots for the most vulnerable, an autistic child. And he’s put in all his own money,” said Bhatt, calling Tanvi The Great “entertainment for the soul.” “I’m awestruck by his courage. I’m so proud that what I ripped up in him, which was there in him, 41 years ago in Saaransh, is now coming into full bloom, and on his own,” added Bhatt.
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Tanvi The Great, inspired from Kher’s real-life niece named Tanvi who’s autistic, marks his return to direction 23 years after his 2002 directorial debut Om Jai Jagdish. It marks the debut of Shubhangi Sharma, and also stars Pallavi Joshi, Jackie Shroff, Karan Tacker, Prakash Raj, and Aravind Swamy among others.
