Vishal Bhardwaj (born 4 August 1965) is an Indian film director, composer, screenwriter, producer and singer. He began as a music director and went on to direct some of the most admired Hindi films of the past two decades, above all his adaptations of Shakespeare’s tragedies: Maqbool (Macbeth), Omkara (Othello) and Haider (Hamlet). He has won nine National Film Awards across music, writing and direction.
Quick Facts
| Full name | Vishal Bhardwaj |
| Born | 4 August 1965, Chandpur, Bijnor district, Uttar Pradesh, India |
| Age | 61 |
| Occupation | Director, composer, screenwriter, producer |
| Education | Hindu College, University of Delhi |
| Years active | 1995–present |
| Spouse | Rekha Bhardwaj (m. 1991) |
| Children | 1 (Aasmaan) |
| Honours | Nine National Film Awards |
Early Life
Bhardwaj grew up in Najibabad and Meerut. His father, Ram Bhardwaj, was a government sugarcane inspector who also wrote lyrics for Hindi films. Vishal played cricket for the state under-19 team until a thumb injury ended that hope. At Hindu College in Delhi he met the singer Rekha, whom he married. He played the harmonium for ghazal singers and worked for a music company.
Career
His songs for the children’s television series The Jungle Book (“Chaddi Pehen Ke Phool Khila Hai”) and for Gulzar’s Maachis (1996) established him. He composed for Satya and Godmother, which won him his first National Award, and he writes the music for all his own films.
He turned to direction partly to have films to compose for. Makdee (2002) was a children’s film with Shabana Azmi. Maqbool (2003) moved Macbeth to the Mumbai underworld, with Irrfan Khan and Tabu. Omkara (2006), set among political gangsters in Uttar Pradesh, starred Ajay Devgn and Saif Ali Khan. Haider (2014), set in Kashmir in 1995 with Shahid Kapoor, won five National Awards. His other films include The Blue Umbrella, from Ruskin Bond‘s story, Kaminey (2009), 7 Khoon Maaf, Rangoon, Pataakha and the spy thriller Khufiya (2023).
He produced and co-wrote Ishqiya and Dedh Ishqiya, and wrote and produced the crime drama Talvar (2015), based on the Aarushi Talwar case.
Personal Life
His wife, Rekha Bhardwaj, is a National Award-winning playback singer who has sung many of his songs. Their son, Aasmaan, directed Kuttey (2023). Bhardwaj is a keen tennis player and has published poetry in Hindi and Urdu.
Frequently Asked Questions
When and where was Vishal Bhardwaj born?
Vishal Bhardwaj was born on 4 August 1965 in Chandpur, Bijnor district, Uttar Pradesh, India and is 61 years old.
What is Vishal Bhardwaj’s occupation?
Occupation: Director, composer, screenwriter, producer.
What honours has Vishal Bhardwaj received?
Nine National Film Awards.
Featured image: Vishal Bhardwaj receives the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for Ishqiya from President Pratibha Patil, New Delhi, 9 September 2011. Photo by President’s Secretariat, licensed under Government Open Data License – India, via Wikimedia Commons.
