ETimes BFFs: Did you know Faraaz producer Sahil Saigal is Alia Bhatt’s cousin? Check out the long and complicated filmy lineage of the Bhatts! | Hindi Movie News – NSP NEWS

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The Bhatts have been entertaining the Indian audiences for four generations. Right from Balwant Bhatt and Nanabhai Bhatt to Alia Bhattand most recently Shiv Darshan, the Bhatt lineage is ever so expanding in the entertainment business and might we say they are here to stay and slay. In the first edition of ETimes BFFs (Big Filmy Families), we take you through the family tree of the Bhatts and share some lesser known facets of their Bollywood careers.Get ready to get your mind blown as we are about to uncover some Bollywood relations you possibly never heard of before!

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Balwant Bhatt
It all started with Balwant Bhatt, the elder brother of Mahesh Bhatt‘s father Nanabhai Bhatt, who was a prolific director of action oriented films. He began his film career as an assistant to director Pesi Karani at Imperial Film Company in 1930. His first film as a director was a silent thriller Passing Show that released in 1932. He then went on to make films like Culprit (1933), Alif-Laila(1933), Bambai Ki Mohini (1934), Sansar Leela (1934), Tope Ka Gola (1936), Challenge (1937), His Highness (1937), Hero No 1 (1939), Nagin Aur Sapera (1966) among others. He turned producer in 1952 with Sinbad The Sailor, followed by Son of Sinbad (1958), and Police Detective (1960). His last film, Nagin Aur was released posthumously in 1966.
Nanabhai Bhatt
Mahesh Bhatt’s father Nanabhai Bhatt started his career in films as a sound recordist working under Balwant Bhatt. He was also known by the names Yeshwant Bhatt and Batuk Bhatt. He worked in both Hindi and Gujarati cinema and his directorial debut was as a co-director with Babubhai Mistri for Muqabala (1942) and Mauj (1943). These were followed by Hunterwali Ki Beti (1943) and Liberty Pictures Sudhar (1949).Thereafter he started his own production company Deepak Pictures in 1946. Nanabhai married Hemlata Bhatt, while Shirin Mohammad Ali was his partner.

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Shirin Mohammad Ali
Shirin Mohammad Ali was an actress who played roles like Pooja Bhatt’s grandmother in Mahesh Bhatt’s film Zakhm among many others. Nanabhai never married Shirin, but he had six children with her – Sheila Bhatt, Purnima Bhasin, Kumkum Saigal, Mahesh Bhatt, Heena Suri and Mukesh Bhatt.
Hemlata Bhatt
Nanabhai had three children with his lawfully wedded wife Hemlata – Robin Bhatt, Parmesh Bhatt and Mamta Bhatt. She had cordial relations with Shirin and her kids called her Shirin mumma. As Robin Bhatt told ETimes, the two ladies never fought and were always on cordial terms with each other.
Sheila Bhatt
Sheila got married to Darshan Sabharwal whose father was the head of a studio in Lahore. He was awarded for making the first movie in Pakistan after partition. Thereafter he migrated to India in 1952 and became the legal advisor to many top producers including BR Chopra. They had two kids, filmmakers Suneel Darshan (Shakalaka Boom Boom, Ajay, Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha etc) and Dharmesh Darshan (Raja Hindustani, Dhadkan, Lootere etc). While Dharmesh married Bindiya Darshan, Suneel Darshan has a son Shiv Darshan with wife Sonia. Shiv is an actor who has appeared in films like Ek Haseena Thi Ek Deewana Tha and Karle Pyaar Karle.
Purnima Bhasin
Purnima was an air hostess, and got married to Rakesh Bhasin. They had two kids who chose careers outside the film industry.
Kumkum Saigal
Kumkum got married to a family friend Surender Saigal. He was a part of the Gazebo group of restaurants. They have two kids – Neha Saigal and Sahil Saigal. Sahil recently produced Hansal Mehta’s film Faraaz.
Mahesh Bhatt
Mahesh Bhatt made his directorial debut at an early age of 26 with Manzilein Aur Bhi Hain. Soon he gave many award winning films like Lahu Ke Do Rang, Aashiqui, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin, Raaz, Murder to name a few. He ventured into television with series like A Mouthful of Sky and Swabhimaan. In the latest he wrote the film 1920: Horrors of the Heart that marked the directorial debut of Vikram Bhatt’s daughter Krishna Bhatt. For the uninitiated, Vikram Bhatt has no blood relation with this Bhatt family!
Mahesh Bhatt married Lorraine Bright in his early 20s. They have two kids – Pooja Bhatt and Rahul Bhatt. Thereafter he married actress Soni Razdan and brought up Shaheeh Bhatt and Alia Bhatt. Alia married Ranbir Kapoor last year and has a daughter named Raha Kapoor.
Heena Suri
Heena, a chartered accountant in the 70s, married a distributor from Delhi – Daksh Suri. They have two children – Smilie Suri and Mohit Suri. Smilie is an actress who married her dance teacher Vineet Bangera, later got divorced. Mohit Suri took up filmmaking as a career and tied the knot with actress Udita Goswami. They have two kids – a son and a daughter.
Mukesh Bhatt
Producer-actor Mukesh Bhatt’s first production was Vinod Khanna starrer Jurm in 1990. He is the co-owner of Vishesh Films and has delivered several superhit films including Aashiqui, Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin, Sadak among others. He married Nilima and has two kids – Sakshi Bhatt and filmmaker Vishesh Bhatt. While Sakshi married her long time boyfriend Mazahir Mandasaurwala, Vishesh tied the knot with college sweetheart Kanika Parab.
Robin Bhatt
Robin Bhatt is a writer who made his debut with the film Aashiqui. He is best known for his writing for Shah Rukh Khan starrer Baazigar. He has written over 66 films in over two decades of his Bollywood career. He has also acted in films like Chalte Chalte, Golmaal Returns, U Me Aur Hum among others. He is currently the President of the Screenwriters’ Association of India. He was married in the mid-60s, and has no children.
Parmesh Bhatt
Parmesh had migrated to Japan and thereafter to US. He had two children. He passed away in Japan two years ago.
Mamta Bhatt
Mamta is married to a non-film background person called Mahendra and they have two children.

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Emraan Hashmi
If you’re wondering where Alia’s distant cousin Emraan falls into the picture, well he comes from his maternal relationships. He is the grandson of Mahesh Bhatt’s mother Shirin’s sister, Meherbano Mohammad Ali whose screen name was Purnima. Purnima’s first husband was Syed Shauqat Hashmi who had a son Anwar Hashmi. Anwar married Maherahh and had two kids Calvin and Emraan. Emraan is married to Parveen Shahani and has a kid Ayaan. Purnima later tied the knot with film producer Bhagwan Das Varma.

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Milan Luthria
Did you know filmmaker Milan Luthria is also Alia Bhatt’s cousin? Milan’s mom Rajni is Mahesh Bhatt’s cousin. She happens to be the daughter of Shirin’s other sister Gulbano Mohammad Ali. Milan is married to Lianne and has a daughter Inaara. Milan started his Bollywood career as assistant director to Dharmesh Darshan for Lootere in 1993. His directorial debut came in 1999 with the Ajay Devgn starrer Kachche Dhaage. He has many more films like Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai and The Dirty Picture to name a few.




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