Bollywood has very few directors who really want to delve into newer and offbeat topics and experiment with a wide range of content. One such accomplished director and screenplay-writer is Meghna Gulzar-the only daughter of legendary producer, director, writer, and poet Gulzar and actress Rakhi Gulzar.
As she completes 49 years of age today, here are some exciting things you should know about the celebrated director:
Her pet name is Bosky
Meghna is fondly called by the pet name Bosky by her parents at home. Reportedly, both Rakhee and Gulzar had decided to call their first-born Meghna, but Gulzar being the sensitive one started calling her Bosky which is a sort of delicate silk. That is how Gulzar felt when he first touched his daughter in the cradle. When Gulzar and Rakhee separated, the former built a bungalow on Pali Hill and gave it the name Boskyaana.
Pappa’s dearest Bosky received special gifts on her birthday
Right from her childhood, Bosky aka Meghna loved to scribble and write poems and Gulzar adoringly allowed her to write them on the walls of his house. Meghna who started calling her father Pappi in her childhood received special gifts from Gulzar on every birthday until she was 13 years old. These gifts were in the form of special books meant for the child which had stories and messages meant for that particular age.
Meghna is a trained filmmaker
Meghna completed her graduation from St Xavier’s College, Mumbai in sociology. But she had a keen interest in filmmaking and writing like her father and enrolled at the prestigious Tisch School of the Arts, New York to complete a course in filmmaking.
Worked with father in Hu Tu Tu
Meghna Gulzar worked as a screenplay writer with her father in Hu Tu Tu starring Tabu and Suniel Shetty. However, instead of starting her career with her father, she first assisted director Saeed Mirza in various projects and later on came up with her first movie Filhaal.
Raazi established her as a leading director
Her first movie starring Tabu and Sushmita Sen did not achieve commercial success. She took a break of 8 years and returned with Talvar which was not a commercial success but was appreciated by the film critics and even earned her nominations for best director. It was Raazi released in 2018 starring Alia Bhatt and Vicky Kaushal that established her as a leading director.
Chhapaak, her last directorial venture starring Deepika Padukone faced a lot of criticism and was dragged into controversy after the leading lady of the movie visited JNU when students were protesting against the government's decisions. Her next venture is Sam Manekshaw featuring Vicky Kaushal in the lead.