Nanabhai Bhatt
Nanabhai Bhatt | |
|---|---|
| Born | 12 June 1915 |
| Died | 24 April 1999 (aged 83) |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Other names | Yeshwant Bhatt Batuk Bhatt |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1942–1988 |
| Spouse | Hemlata Bhatt |
| Partner | Shirin Mohammad Ali |
| Children | 9 (including Mahesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt & Robin Bhatt) |
| Relatives | See Bhatt family |
Nanabhai Bhatt (12 June 1915 – 24 April 1999) was an Indian film director and producer who worked in Hindi and Gujarati cinema.[1][2] He is known for making over a hundred fantasy and mythological films,[3] including Mr. X (1957), Zimbo Comes to Town (1960), Lal Qila (1960) and the blockbuster Kangan (1959) starring Nirupa Roy and Ashok Kumar.[4][5] His first film, Muqabala (1942), was the first to feature the double-role or "twins" phenomenon in Indian cinema, wherein lead actress Fearless Nadia alternated between the good sister and the gangster's moll. The formula was subsequently emulated in numerous Hindi films.[6]
Early life
Bhatt, called Yeshwant Bhatt, was born in a Nagar Brahmin family[7] on 12 June 1915 in Porbandar, British India.[8] He started his early career in films as a sound recordist with Prakash Pictures, working under his brother Balwant Bhatt, and then by writing "scripts and stories" using the name Batuk Bhatt.[9]
Career
He began his directorial venture when he joined Homi Wadia's team at Basant Pictures[10] by co-directing two films with Babubhai Mistri, Muqabala (1942) and Mauj (1943), under the same name.[11] He directed two more films as Batuk Bhatt, Homi Wadia's Hunterwali Ki Beti (1943) and Liberty Pictures Sudhar (1949).[12] Bhatt left Basant Pictures and started his own production company "Deepak Pictures" in 1946.[10]
Over the next few decades, Bhatt became a prolific filmmaker, particularly known for his work in the mythological and fantasy genres. He directed over 70 Hindi and Gujarati films, many of which featured religious and heroic themes. Some of his most notable films include Alibaba Aur Chalis Chor (1954), Zimbo (1958), and Lal Qila (1960).[13]
Bhatt was instrumental in shaping the mythological cinema of the 1950s and 1960s, popularizing stories from Indian epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata through low-budget yet widely successful films.[14]
He was also a key figure in the Gujarati film industry, directing several Gujarati-language films such as Gajara Maru (1981) and Jaya Parvati Vrat (1982), which found success among regional audiences.[15]
Personal life
Bhatt was the patriarch of the Bhatt film family.[16] He was in a relationship with Shia Muslim actress, Shirin Mohammad Ali since 1939. The couple had six children – Sheila Bhatt, Purnima Bhasin, Kumkum Saigal, Mahesh Bhatt, Heena Suri and Mukesh Bhatt.[17][18] Later, Nanabhai married Hemlata Bhatt, with whom he had three children – Robin Bhatt, Parmesh Bhatt, Mamta Bhatt.[19][20]
He had five daughters and four sons, including film director and producer Mahesh Bhatt, Mukesh Bhatt, and Robin Bhatt.[21]
Bhatt died at Nanavati hospital in Mumbai from heart failure on 24 April 1999.[22][23]
Influence and recognition
- Honored by several Gujarati cultural organizations for his work in Gujarati devotional cinema during the early 1980s.[24]
- Posthumously recognized in retrospectives on early Indian cinema as a pioneer of low-budget mythological and fantasy filmmaking.[25]
- Commemorated by film historians and critics for his influence on the genre and as the patriarch of a family of filmmakers, including Mahesh Bhatt and Alia Bhatt.[26]
Filmography
As Producer
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Kabzaa | — |
As Director
| Year | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | Jaya Parvati Vrat | Gujarati film |
| 1981 | Gajara Maru | |
| 1976 | Dharti Mata | |
| 1975 | Balak Aur Janwar | |
| 1974 | Jeevan Rekha | |
| 1968 | Jung Aur Aman | |
| 1967 | Baghdad Ki Raatein | |
| 1966 | Shankar Khan | |
| 1965 | Bekhabar | |
| 1965 | Aadhi Raat Ke Baad | |
| 1964 | Samson | |
| 1963 | Alapiranthavan | Tamil film |
| 1963 | Bhootnath | |
| 1963 | Naag Rani | |
| 1962 | Rocket Girl | |
| 1962 | Baghdad Ki Raaten | |
| 1961 | Teen Ustad | |
| 1960 | Police Detective | |
| 1960 | Lal Quila | |
| 1960 | Zimbo Shaher Mein | |
| 1959 | Daaka | |
| 1959 | Baazigar | |
| 1959 | Kangan | |
| 1959 | Naya Sansar | |
| 1959 | Madam XYZ | |
| 1958 | Son of Sinbad | |
| 1958 | Chaalbaaz | |
| 1957 | Mr. X | |
| 1957 | Ustad | |
| 1956 | Kismet | |
| 1954 | Watan | |
| 1954 | Toote Khilone | |
| 1952 | Sinbad Jahazi | |
| 1952 | Apni Izzat | |
| 1952 | Baghdad | |
| 1951 | Lakshmi Narayan | |
| 1951 | Ram Janma | |
| 1951 | Daman | |
| 1951 | Lav Kush | |
| 1950 | Janmashtami | |
| 1950 | Veer Babruwahan | |
| 1950 | Hamara Ghar | |
| 1949 | Veer Ghatotkach | |
| 1949 | Shaukeen | |
| 1946 | Maa Baap Ki Laaj | |
| 1946 | Chalis Karod | |
| 1943 | Mauj | |
| 1942 | Muqabala | It was the first to feature the double-role phenomenon in Indian cinema |
References
- ^ "News: Limping at 75". Screen. 4 May 2007.
- ^ "'Dhollywood' at 75 finds few takers in urban Gujarat". Financial Express. 22 April 2007.
- ^ Nanbhat Bhatt chapak.com.
- ^ "1959: Year that was". Indian Express. 29 May 1998.
- ^ "Quicktakes: Bhatts bereaved". Indian Express. 24 April 1999.
- ^ "SPECIAL: Is Old Gold?". Screen. 26 March 2010.
- ^ "On Alia Bhatt's birthday, tracing her Kashmiri, Gujarati, German roots". Hindustan Times. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2022.
- ^ "Mahesh Bhatt tours riot-ravaged Ahmedabad – Times of India". The Times of India. 22 April 2002. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ Sanjit Narwekar (1994). "Bhatt, Nanabhai". Directory of Indian film-makers and films. Flicks Books. p. 49. ISBN 9780948911408. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ^ a b Rachel Dwyer; Senior Lecturer in Indian Studies Rachel Dwyer (27 September 2006). Filming the Gods: Religion and Indian Cinema. Routledge. pp. 44–. ISBN 978-1-134-38070-1. Retrieved 25 January 2015.
- ^ Ashish Rajadhyaksha; Paul Willemen (26 June 1999). Encyclopaedia of Indian cinema. British Film Institute. p. 63. ISBN 978-0-85170-669-6. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ^ "Batuk Bhatt Filmography". Gomolo.com. Archived from the original on 28 January 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ^ "Nanabhai Bhatt". Upperstall. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish (1999). Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema. Oxford University Press. p. 185. ISBN 978-0-19-563579-2.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ "Nanabhai Bhatt". Cinestaan. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ "Mahesh Bhatt tours riot-ravaged Ahmedabad". The Times of India. 22 April 2002. Retrieved 25 February 2019.
- ^ "Mahesh Bhatt's father didn't abandon either of his two wives, his claims about being illegitimate are 'dishonest': Nephew Dharmesh Darshan". 25 October 2023.
- ^ "The Saraansh of Mahesh Bhatt's life". The Times of India. 18 January 2003.
- ^ "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!". The Times of India. 10 November 2023.
- ^ "Age. 96 years Left for her heavenly abode on 18.9.2015 Robin Bhatt & Family". The Times of India. 21 September 2015.
- ^ "The Dynamic Dynasties: What would the world of films be without them?". Screen. 22 September 2000. Archived from the original on 10 February 2010.
- ^ "Filmmaker Nanabhai Bhatt dead". Rediff. 23 April 1999. Archived from the original on 29 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ^ "Nanabhai Bhatt dead". The Tribune. 24 April 1999. Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ^ "Nanabhai Bhatt: Unsung Pioneer of Gujarati Cinema". Gujarati Film History. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
- ^ Rajadhyaksha, Ashish (1999). Encyclopaedia of Indian Cinema. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-563579-2.
{{cite book}}: Check|isbn=value: checksum (help) - ^ "Remembering Nanabhai Bhatt, grandfather of Alia Bhatt". India Today. Retrieved 14 July 2025.