Mahesh Bhatt has long drawn inspiration for his films from his own life. Works like ‘Arth’, ‘Zakhm’, ‘Woh Lamhe…’, and ‘Daddy’ reflect pieces of his troubled upbringing, his personal relationships and affairs, and the secrets that quietly shaped his life. ‘Zakhm’, in particular, drew from his background as the son of a Hindu father and a Muslim mother who were never married. The film faced prolonged censorship battles that stretched on for months, eventually pulling in political leaders of the time to help push it through, beyond the CBFC’s (Central Board of Film Certification) usual role.
Mahesh Bhatt on ‘Zakhm’ being “my reality”
Looking back at the film and the hurdles it faced, Bhatt shared with lyricist Rashmi Virag on his YouTube channel, “Zakhm was my reality. I had lived that life. I was born to a Muslim mother and a Hindu father. There was confusion in the house about a person’s identity, and India was at a crossroads at that time. I had made the film, and it faced several problems while going through the censors. It was because the NDA was in power. The right-wing forces were coming to the forefront very aggressively.”
Mahesh Bhatt on Asha Parekh ‘s suggestion that disturbed him
Bhatt further recalled his shock at a reported suggestion from actor Asha Parekh, who was heading the CBFC at that time. He said, “Asha Parekh, who was on the board and one of us, said, ‘Let us get it cleared by Bal Thackeray ji in Mumbai or LK Advani at the Centre.’ I was like, ‘This is not done.’Movies are supposed to be seen by a committee and certified based on its verdict. But she wanted to be cautious. I was very disturbed by that.“
Mahesh Bhatt on engaging with the government to release ‘Zakhm’
The filmmaker said he ultimately had no choice but to engage with political leaders and government officials to get the film released. “I had to be friends with the central government. The Home Ministry had to see the film, and it went through deliberations for three months. Certain alterations were made after my team said, ‘When you have come this far, let us accommodate a bit. Otherwise, the film will not see the light of day,'” he said. Despite the effort to get it released, Zakhm ultimately underperformed at the box office.“The film released. It didn’t do well at the box office then. But it has now become a cult film. And now it has made more money for Pooja than she ever imagined. The truth is strange. It doesn’t look like gold when it is placed next to you, but over time, it sparkles. Time is the only test of excellence. If the work can go through the desert of time and still retain its splendour, that means it has something hereditary in it,” Bhatt said.
Mahesh Bhatt on why his films remain relevant today
On why his films continue to strike a chord even today, Bhatt said, “The concerns of Zakhm are still the concerns of the nation today. The concerns of Arth are still the concerns of married life today. And the concerns of Saaransh are still the concerns of mankind today. They all have timeless qualities because they are issues that have troubled the human race since the dawn of time. I just happened to tap into that and put it into fictional form.“
Mahesh Bhatt and the ongoing CBFC concerns decades later
Nearly thirty years have passed since Zakhm’s release, yet concerns surrounding the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) remain far from resolved. Numerous films continue to face delays over certification issues, with Jana Nayagan and Satluj standing out as some of the more prominent recent cases.
