I have often been labelled as illegitimate: Mahesh Bhatt

New Delhi: We know him as a producer, filmmaker, writer and a social activist but Bollywood veteran Mahesh Bhatt says there is another side to him that refuses to follow the societal norms blindly.

Bhatt who turned 62 today, says he does not fit in the society, which follows certain norms, as he seeks to go beyond the set definitions. "The society has certain norms and people who do not follow them are termed illegitimate. My father was a Brahmin and my mother was a Muslim and it does not fit in to the societal definition of a family. Hence, I have also been called an illegitimate child," Bhatt told reporters. Bhatt says that this constant debate of the legitimate and illegitimate has given him the courage to think beyond the norms and made him push boundaries. With films like `Arth`, `Saaransh`, `Daddy`, `Janam` and `Zakhm`, he broke set perceptions in the society and with recent films like `Lamhe`, `Jannat`, `Murder`, he showed the changing trends. "I always try to adapt myself to the changing times, so that I don`t lag behind," Bhatt said. The National award winning director, whose films are based on conflicting issues of relationships and society, says all that he has done, seen and suffered in his life, he tries to bring it on screen without any hesitation. Although, he added, the audience today would rather watch an entertaining film rather than a serious one which deals with a grim subject. "The biggest problem with the Indian audience is that they want to see the truth on screen but they look for a happy ending at the same time. The demands have changed and so I too had to bring about some changes in my films but a good script is still the primary requirement" he said. Bhatt also said that the changing trend in Indian cinema is good only as far as it retains its aura. "I am fine with the change in filmmaking. But Indian films these days are losing out on their Indian-ness," he said. PTI