Filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt is set to anchor Pehchaan, a show that brings together 13 Sikh voices and their stories of resilience, faith and service. Premiering this Baisakhi on SonyLIV and its YouTube channel, the series—conceptualised by Vinay Bhardwaj, researched by Dr. Prabhleen Singh and directed by Suhrita Das—has left a profound impact on Bhatt.In an exclusive conversation with ETimes, the veteran filmmaker opened up about spirituality, unlearning, fatherhood, his bond with granddaughter Raha Kapoor, and his memories of legendary singer Asha Bhosle—while reflecting on finding meaning beyond identity.
‘It was a mirror… not a show’
For Bhatt, Pehchaan went far beyond storytelling—it became a deeply introspective 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 the stories of Sikh faith and seva, I found myself standing in the presence of something pure… something untouched by the noise that we, in our restless lives, constantly create. It wasn’t about learning something new—it was about remembering something I had forgotten within myself.”He added that the experience changed not what he knew, but how he saw the world.“What shifted within me while doing Pehchaan was not information—it was a change in my way of seeing. I saw people live their faith without noise. Sikhism revealed itself not as belief, but as action. It says simply: when you see “God” in the other, you arrive at the threshold of religion. When you serve another human being, you touch “God”. That stayed with me. It took me out of my own story. And I realised again—I am not the story. Life is. And what I call my story is only a confluence of many stories that have passed through me.”
‘Unlearning is a painful act’
Bhatt also reflected on the idea of unlearning, something he says became central to his journey through the show.“Unlearning, for me, has been the dropping of this need to stand at the centre. To interpret, to control. Now there is a willingness to step aside and watch—even the chaos within—without rushing to fix it.”“Unlearning… is a painful act. We spend years building identities, beliefs, defenses—and then life comes and quietly asks you to dismantle them. One thing I had to let go of was the illusion of control. I always believed I was the author of my journey. But through these stories, I realized… we are often just instruments. The moment you surrender that illusion, something shifts… something softens.”
‘I interfere less now’
Known for exploring the complexities of the human psyche in his cinema, Bhatt admitted that age hasn’t necessarily brought clarity—but perspective.“Do I understand myself better today? No. I interfere less. I would say… I am less certain of who I am, and strangely, that feels like a deeper understanding. In my younger years, I was loud with my truths. Today, I sit more comfortably with my question”
On granddaughter Raha: ‘A drop of divinity’
Bhatt also spoke about embracing a new role as grandfather to Raha Kapoor, daughter of Alia Bhatt and Ranbir Kapoor, calling it a transformative emotional experience.“Raha came into our lives like a drop of divinity. I had barely absorbed the astonishing journey of Alia Bhatt becoming what she has… and then this child arrives. Just the thought of her brings a smile into every pore of my being. Her vitality is fierce. Her mind—sharp, almost evolutionary. She gives you a sense of time. You stand at a vantage point and watch the stream—your daughter, her child—and suddenly you see the continuity of life that has flowed for millennia and will continue long after you are gone. And yet, I know I am no different from any other grandfather. Each one, in that moment, rediscovers life. To simply speak to her… that is enough for a day.”
Remembering Asha Bhosle
Reflecting on legendary singer Asha Bhosle, Bhatt recalled a memory tied to an unfinished film.“Asha ji… my memory goes back to Mukti, a film that never was. R. D. Burman composed, she recorded, and the film collapsed within days. But her voice stayed. For my generation, it was not just music—it was breath. When people mourn her, I feel yes, something has gone. But more than that—what a gift we were given. Such range, such rebellion, such aliveness. She doesn’t disappear. She lives.”
‘I am in flux… and that is enough’
At this stage of his life, Bhatt says he no longer feels the need to define himself.“So what is my pehchaan now? I don’t define it. The moment you define yourself, you reduce yourself. I am in flux. And that is enough.”