Film maker Mahesh Bhatt She will anchor Pehchaan, a show featuring 13 Sikh voices and their stories of resilience, faith and service. Launching this Baisakhi on SonyLIV and its YouTube channel, the series is conceptualized by Vinay BhardwajResearched by Dr. Prabhleen Singh and edited by Suhrita Das, it has left a deep impression on Bhatt.In an exclusive interview with ETimes, the veteran filmmaker spoke about spirituality, learning, fatherhood, his bond with granddaughter Raha Kapoor and memories of legendary singer Asha Bhosle, as he ponders finding meaning beyond identity.
‘It was a mirror… not a show’
For Bhatt, Pehchaan went beyond storytelling – it became an inner journey.“Pehchaan was never a show for me… it was a mirror. And mirrors can be cruel, they don’t flatter, they reveal. Engaging with stories of Sikh faith and seva, I found myself standing in front of something pure… something untouched by the noise we, in our restless lives, constantly create. It wasn’t about learning something new, it was about remembering something in myself that I had forgotten.”He added that the experience didn’t change what he knew, but how he saw the world.“What moved in me when doing Pehchaan was not information, it was a change in my way of seeing. I saw people living their faith without noise. Sikhism did not appear as a belief, but as an action. It simply says: When you see “God” in the other, you reach the threshold of religion. When you serve another human being, I was left out of my story. He realized again—I am not the story. It’s life. And what I call my story is one of the many stories that have passed through me.”
“Unlearning is a painful act”
Bhatt also reflected on the idea of unlearning, which she says was central to her journey through the show.“Unlearning, for me, has been the decline of that need to be at the center. To interpret, to control. Now there is a willingness to step aside and look at – even the chaos inside – without rushing to fix it.”“Unlearning… is a painful act. We spend years building identities, beliefs, defenses—and then life comes along and quietly asks you to dismantle them. One thing I had to give up was the illusion of control. I have always believed that I was the author of my own journey. But through these stories I realized… we are often just instruments. The moment you surrender that illusion, something moves… something softens.’
‘Now I intervene less’
Known for exploring the complexities of the human psyche in his films, Bhatt admitted that age doesn’t necessarily bring clarity, but perspective.“Do I understand myself better today? No. I let it in less. I would say…I’m less sure of who I am, and strangely enough, that feels like a deeper understanding. When I was young, I was loud about my truths. Today, I sit more comfortably with my question.”
Raha on grandson: ‘A drop of divinity’
Bhatt also spoke about taking on a new role as a grandfather to Raha Kapoor, daughter of Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, calling it an emotionally transformative experience.“Raha came into our lives like a drop of divinity. I was almost absorbed in Alia Bhatt’s amazing journey… and then this child arrives. The thought of her brings a smile to every pore of my being. Her vitality is fierce. His mind – sharp, almost evolutionary. It gives you a sense of time. You stand on a vantage point and watch the stream—your daughter, her child—and suddenly you see the continuity of a life that has gone on for millennia and will continue long after it’s gone. And yet I know I’m no different than any other grandpa. Everyone, in that moment, rediscovers life. Just talking to him…is enough for one day.’
Remembering Asha Bhosle
Reflecting on legendary singer Asha Bhosle, Bhatt recalled a memory related to an unfinished film.“Asha ji… my memory goes to Mukti, the film that never was. RD Burman composed, shot and the film collapsed within days. But his voice remained. For my generation, it was not just music, it was breath. When people mourn, yes, I feel something has gone. But more than that, what a gift they gave us. Such a rebellion, such a rebellion. Lives.”
‘I’m on the move… and that’s enough’
At this stage in her life, Bhatt says she no longer feels the need to define herself.“So what is my pehchaan now? I don’t define it. The moment you define yourself, you limit yourself. I’m in the flow. And that’s enough.”
