Mumbai: He made his directorial debut, young romance 'Maine Pyaar Kiya', right after graduating from college and since then filmmaker Sooraj Barjatya said all his films have been a reflection of his real life.
With 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!' and 'Vivah', he explored marriage in different eras. He presented a nuanced take on broken relationships when he made a film like 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo', several years after directing the idealistic family drama 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'.
"When I did 'Maine Pyaar Kiya', I was out of college, 21 or 22 years of age and then got married and had two kids and you learn the value of friendship and you make 'Hum Aapke Hain Koun..!'. And then you lose a mother and you make 'Hum Saath Saath Hain'. When you realise the value of marriage, you make 'Vivah' and then with 'Prem Ratan Dhan Payo', you realise that every family has problems, you cannot deny it," Barjatya, 57, told the top news agency.
Every director draws inspiration from the kind of life they have lived and he is no different, the filmmaker said.
"We always borrow from life. Creation comes from your own experiences. What I show in films is somewhat similar to my life, but we show it in an aspirational way," he added.
Barjatya's upcoming release "Uunchai", from a script penned by Sunil Gandhi, stems from the current chapter of his life. The Hindi movie revolves around three friends, played by Amitabh Bachchan, Boman Irani and Anupam Kher, who go on a trek to Mount Everest base camp to fulfil their late buddy's (Danny Denzongpa) last wish. A father of three, Barjatya said since the definition of family and togetherness has evolved, it's important for his cinema to keep up with the times.