Dharmesh Darshan

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Dharmesh Darshan is an Indian filmmaker, film director and writer who works in Bollywood. He was born into Bhatt family. He began his illustrious career as one of the youngest filmmakers of Indian Cinema, in the league of Sooraj Barjatya, Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar, and Sanjay Leela Bhansali. He began his directorial career with the crime action film Lootere (1993). He achieved his breakthrough and created box-office history with the romantic drama Raja Hindustani (1996), He then directed the musical romantic drama Dhadkan (2000), another critical and commercial success.

He was widely reputed for being a heroine's director, as he was responsible for the metamorphosis of top heroines like Juhi Chawla in Lootere, Karisma Kapoor in Raja Hindustani and Shilpa Shetty in Dhadkan.

Dharmesh was born Dharmesh Sabharwal, the son of film producer Darshan Sabharwal and his wife Sheila,^[1] who is the elder sister of filmmakers Mahesh Bhatt and Mukesh Bhatt. Thus, both his parents were linked to the Hindi film industry. At some point, Dharmesh decided to adopt his father's first name as his own surname, and came to be known as Dharmesh Darshan.

Dharmesh made his directional and screenwriting debut with the crime action film Lootere (1993) starring Sunny Deol and Juhi Chawla in lead roles. Produced by his brother Suneel Darshan, the film received mixed reviews from critics upon release, but emerged as a commercial success at the box-office.^[2]

Dharmesh achieved his breakthrough with his next directorial venture, the romantic drama Raja Hindustani (1996) starring Aamir Khan and Karisma Kapoor in lead roles. The film told the story of a cab driver (Khan) from a small town who falls in love with a rich young woman (Kapoor). It received positive reviews from critics upon release, with praise for its direction, story, screenplay, soundtrack and performances of the cast. The film emerged as a major blockbuster at the box-office, grossing ₹76.34 crore worldwide, ranking as the highest-grossing Hindi film of the year, and the fourth highest-grossing film in India of the 1990s.^[3] Raja Hindustani won several awards including the Filmfare Award for Best Film, and earned Dharmesh his first nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director.

Dharmesh began the new millennium with directing and screenwriting the masala film Mela and the musical romantic drama Dhadkan. Mela, which starred Khan, Twinkle Khanna and his real-life younger brother Faisal Khan in lead roles, was the first Bollywood release of the new millennium. The film opened to highly negative reviews from critics upon release, and emerged as a major commercial disaster at the box-office.^[4] Mela is considered to be one of the worst films of Hindi cinema.^[5][6]

Dharmesh's next directorial that year was Dhadkan starring Akshay Kumar, Shilpa Shetty, Suniel Shetty and Mahima Chaudhry in lead roles. Inspired by Emily Brontë's novel Wuthering Heights, the film received positive reviews from critics upon release, with praise for its direction, soundtrack and performances of the cast. It emerged as a major commercial success at the box-office, grossing ₹26 crore worldwide, ranking as the fourth highest-grossing Hindi film of the year.^[7] Dhadkan earned Dharmesh his second nomination for the Filmfare Award for Best Director.

His next venture was the romance Haan Maine Bhi Pyaar Kiya (2002) starring Kumar, Kapoor and Abhishek Bachchan in lead roles. Inspired by T. Rama Rao's Hindi-language drama film Ek Hi Bhool (1981), the film received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics, and emerged as a commercial failure at the box-office.^[8]

He next directed and screenwrote the romantic drama Bewafaa (2005) starring Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Sushmita Sen in lead roles. Inspired by B. R. Chopra's Gumrah (1963), the film received mixed reviews from critics upon release, and emerged as an average grosser at the domestic box-office; however, it emerged as a commercial success in overseas markets.^[9]

His last directorial to date is the romantic comedy Aap Ki Khatir (2006) starring Akshaye Khanna and Priyanka Chopra in lead roles. Inspired by the 2005 American film The Wedding Date (2005), the film received negative reviews from critics upon release, and emerged as a commercial disaster at the box-office.^[10]

• Dharmesh Darshan at IMDb