“I was perhaps lucky to be born in a single-parent home where my mother, Shirin Mohammed Ali, was the sole figure I revered. My father's absence in my life in my formative years exposed me to only one person, who was my source of learning the lessons of life. So to me, listening to a woman and her worldly view is almost automatic.”

Indian film director, producer and screenwriter, retired

Mahesh Bhatt is an Indian film director, producer and screenwriter in Hindi cinema. Retired from active filmmaking, he became a prominent figure in the 1980s and 1990s for work that often took on unconventional storytelling and bold themes. He directed and produced films that helped define a major phase of mainstream Hindi cinema, while also writing screenplays. His career has been recognized with several honors, including five National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards.