Filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya shared how Mahesh Bhatt and Raj Kapoor played crucial roles in shaping his cinematic journey. He described Bhatt as his creator and Kapoor as his greatest inspiration.
In conversation with Bollywood Bubble, Sooraj shared that Mahesh Bhatt was instrumental in mentoring him during his early days, helping him grasp the essence of storytelling. He recalled how Bhatt’s approach to directing made him realize that a filmmaker does much more than just setting up a camera—directing is about shaping performances and creating scenes.

Sooraj further explained that his filmmaking approach has always been centered on storytelling rather than visuals. Inspired by Mahesh Bhatt, he prioritizes making scenes feel natural. He believes that even in action sequences, if anything seems artificial, the audience will immediately notice, which is why authenticity is key in his direction.

Barjatya also shared that Raj Kapoor’s films deeply shaped his vision of emotion-driven cinema. When he decided to become a director decades ago, Kapoor’s career was his biggest inspiration. He never focused on budgets or trends but created films like Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!, Vivaah, and Maine Pyar Kiya when the time felt right.
Meanwhile, Sooraj Barjatya’s Rajshri Productions has released Bada Naam Karenge, directed by Palash Vaswani. Starring Ritik Ghanshani and Ayesha Kaduskar in lead roles, the series also features Kanwaljit Singh, Alka Amin, Jameel Khan, and Deepika Amin. It premiered on an OTT platform on February 7.