Music composer, playback singer, screenwriter, director, and producer – Vishal Bhardwaj is a man of many talents. From his soulful compositions to his hard-hitting movies, he knows how to make art come alive. Bhardwaj’s work across Hindi cinema is celebrated and has won him seven National Film Awards in four categories. Here are seven movies that were directed, written, produced or musically composed by Vishal Bhardwaj that need to be a part of your watchlist.

1. Maachis (1996)

Maachis is a 1996 political thriller directed by Gulzar based on the Sikh insurgency in Punjab in the 1980s. The movie highlights the corruption in the policing and political systems that target people based on religious discrimination. The movie stars Chandrachur Singh, Tabu, Jimmy Sheirgill, and Om Puri. The background score and the soundtrack of the movie were composed by Vishal Bhardwaj while the lyrics were written by Gulzar. This won Bhardwaj the Filmfare RD Burman Award for New Music Talent.

Watch it on MX Player

2. Godmother (1999)

Godmother is a biographical movie inspired by the life of Santokben Jadeja, a woman who ran the mafia operations in the late 1980s and early 1990s in Gujarat. She later went on to become a politician. Shabana Azmi essays the role of the mafia queen Rambhi, who was thrown into the seat of power after her husband was murdered. She vows revenge for her husband’s death and fights the corrupt justice system to become a Godmother. The music for the movie was composed by Vishal Bhardwaj with lyrics penned by Javed Akhtar. This movie got Vishal Bhardwaj his first National Film Award for Best Music Direction.

Watch it on Disney+ Hotstar

3. Makdee (2002)

Vishal Bhardwaj made his directorial debut with the horror comedy movie Makdee. The movie follows a young girl, Chunni, and her tryst with an alleged witch, Makdee. Her village lives in constant fear of Makdee, a witch who lives in an old mansion. Anyone who enters the mansion comes out as an animal. When Chunni’s sister, Munni, enters the mansion and comes out as a hen, Chunni runs from pillar to post to save her sister and, in the process, exposes Makdee’s ruse.

4. Maqbool (2003)

One of three Shakespearean tragedy adaptations, Maqbool is the Indian adaptation of Macbeth. Set in the backdrop of the Mumbai underworld, the movie follows Miyan Maqbool’s ambitions to be the most powerful don, backed by his lover Nimmi. They even conspire and ultimately kill Abba ji, Maqbool’s boss and Nimmi’s husband. Soon, the guilt of their action brings about their downfall. While the story and the characters are based on Macbeth, Bhardwaj has given the movie a very rural Indian touch to fit with the set-up. Apart from the direction, the background score and soundtrack were also composed by Vishal Bhardwaj.

Watch it on Disney+ Hotstar

5. The Blue Umbrella (2005)

Based on a short story of the same name by Ruskin Bond, Vishal Bhardwaj directed and did the music for The Blue Umbrella. Starring Pankaj Kapoor and Shreya Sharma in primary roles, the movie follows Biniya and a beautiful blue Japanese umbrella that she finds from a group of tourists. The umbrella and, by extension, Biniya become the stars of the village, due to the uniqueness of the blue umbrella. This invokes jealousy in the neighbourhood shop owner, Khatri.

6. Kaminey (2009)

Written and directed by Vishal Bhardwaj, Kaminey follows the rivalry between two brothers in the backdrop of the Mumbai underworld, over the course of a day. Charlie has a lisp while his twin, Guddu, stutters. The twins are as different as chalk and cheese. When Charlie decides to seek revenge from a jockey who deceives him, Guddu gets caught in the crossfire inadvertently. The movie stars Shahid Kapoor in a dual role, along with Priyanka Chopra and Amole Gupte.

Watch it on Netflix

7. Ishqiya (2010)

Abhishek Chaubey’s directorial debut Ishqiya, starring Vidya Balan, Naseeruddin Shah and Arshad Warsi, was produced by Vishal Bhardwaj. The movie chronicles the lives of the two criminals, Khalujaan and Babban, as they escape from the clutches of their boss. They end up at Krishna Verma’s house to seek refuge. A widow, Krishna has plans of her own and she plays Babban and Khalujaan like a fiddle. Vishal Bhardwaj composed the soundtrack of the movie and he won the National Film Award for Best Music Direction for the same.

Watch it on Netflix

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