MUMBAI: Mahesh Bhatt is well known for making hard-hitting films like Naam, Saaransh, Sadak, Sir, Tadipaar, and more in the 90s. In the last two decades, he also made a name as a writer and producer, but did you know he made the Shah Rukh Khan starrer Duplicate because of his daughter Alia Bhatt?

During the making of the film, a news crew visited the sets to chat with the cast and crew. It was then that Mahesh Bhatt spoke about the real reason for switching genres and making this action comedy with SRK.

He said, “It’s a film that I am looking forward to show my children,” implying that his earlier films may have been too violent or dark for kids.

The director then went on to specify that he was hoping to impress Alia, who was just four at the time. He said, “Children normally don’t get impressed by their parents. The chances are that I might just impress my four-year-old girl Alia by Duplicate.”

Duplicate starred Shah Rukh Khan in dual roles. The actor played protagonist Bablu and antagonist Manu. The film received mixed reviews upon release but could not make a splash at the box office.

Alia has starred along with King Khan in Dear Zindagi, directed by Gauri Shinde. SRK played Dr Jehangir Khan, a psychologist who helps Alia’s Koko with her life problems.

Credits: Koimoi